Pubdate: Sat, 27 Apr 2002
Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI)
Copyright: 2002 Madison Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wisconsinstatejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/506
Author: Ed Treleven, Courts reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

3 UW-MADISON SENIORS AMONG 7 INDICTED IN DRUG CASE

Four Madison residents - including three UW-Madison seniors - were among 
seven people indicted this week in Dane County's largest-ever ecstasy 
distribution bust.

Two federal indictments were unsealed Friday charging the seven with being 
involved in a scheme to ship the illegal stimulant from Pennsylvania and 
Florida to Wisconsin, where it was sold on or near the UW-Madison campus.

An indictment charges that six people took part in a conspiracy between 
January 2000 and Dec. 10, 2001, to distribute more than 100,000 ecstasy 
pills. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim O'Shea could discuss few details of the 
case, but he said that during the investigation agents intercepted a 
package that contained $31,250 in cash.

Arrested Friday morning in Madison were Ashkan Farhadieh, 21, an 
international relations and political science major from Oakbrook, Ill., 
who was charged in six counts of the indictment; Ghassan Majdalani, 21, a 
communications arts major from Oshkosh who faces one count; and Matthew 
Louie, 22, an international relations major from Williamsburg, Va., who 
faces two counts.

Farhadieh's brother, Paymon, 23, of New York City, faces one count of the 
indictment and Steven Larson, 25, of Los Angeles, was named in six counts. 
Penn State University spokesman Tysen Kendig said both are 2000 graduates 
of Penn State. It was there that they allegedly became involved in the 
scheme, authorities said.

Also arrested was Augusto Rodriguez, 24, of Miami, who was named in six 
counts of the indictment.

A second indictment charges Steven Santana, 30, of Madison, with one count 
of distributing ecstasy and two counts of possession.

Authorities said they seized11,000 pills.

All seven men face up to 20 years in prison on each count.

The volume of the drug involved easily makes this Dane County's largest 
ecstasy case. Lt. Brian Ackeret, who heads the Dane County Narcotics and 
Gang Task Force, said it dwarfs a drug seizure in 2000 that yielded 600 
pills, and one in 2001 that yielded 1,000 pills.

"It's definitely a drug that is on the increase, not only here but 
nationally," Ackeret said.

On the UW-Madison campus, officials are on alert about ecstasy's growing 
popularity.

"This should be a wake-up call for not only law enforcement but for the 
entire community that this is a problem and that it is more widespread and 
serious than any of us realized," said UW-Madison Police Capt. Dale Burke.

Roger Howard, interim dean of students at UW-Madison, said anyone caught 
selling drugs to students would be punished harshly.

"I'm alarmed whenever I hear of students or anybody around students engaged 
in these kinds of drug sales," he said. "Drug sellers in my experience have 
very little concern for the safety and health of their clients."

Ecstasy is a stimulant with hallucinogenic properties often distributed at 
night clubs or late-night parties. It can cause severe dehydration or 
exhaustion. Overdose symptoms include high blood pressure, faintness, panic 
attacks, seizures and a drastic rise in body temperature. The drug was 
blamed for the death of a Madison teen in 2000.
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