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4 UT Students Face Drug Charges After Sting

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 10, 2007

TAMPA - Police have arrested four University of Tampa students on drug charges over the past three weeks, including the chaplain of a fraternity. The busts have resulted in felony charges against all four students and the temporary suspension of the fraternity's activities on campus, authorities said.

University officials said the arrests were the result of investigations sparked by anonymous tips.

Dean of Students Bob Ruday said all four students, two of whom were members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, live on campus and that the felony charges are troubling.

"Whenever there's a sizeable amount that looks like there is intent to sell, we're very concerned," he said. "We're just happy that our Silent Witness program is working."

The program is on the university's Web site and allows students to provide information on illegal activities around campus or those that are "violating our policies," Ruday said. "They can either phone it in or go on our Web site. It's anonymous."

Ruday said the arrests resulting from the program had not caused a backlash concerning the lengths administrators are willing to go in keeping an eye on what students are doing.

"The students I have talked to have said, 'We've had enough. We don't want this on our campus,' " he said.

The arrests were made by Tampa police officers, he said, who were called to assist in the investigation.

"We fully cooperated with them," Ruday said. "This was a bigger problem than what we usually face."

The story was first reported in the university's newspaper, The Minaret, which quoted Paul Lobiondo, president of the local Pi Kappa Phi chapter, as saying such behavior by members is unacceptable.

"It isn't how we operate," Lobiondo told the newspaper. "We don't condone these behaviors and we don't allow these kinds of activities in our organization."

James Cocoliato, the chaplain of the fraternity, was wearing his Pi Kappa Phi T-shirt when he was arrested, and the logo is prominent in the mug shot.

Ruday said the national headquarters of the fraternity as well as the university has temporarily suspended Pi Kappa Phi's activities on the campus. The dean said the national headquarters "will send down a team to investigate what's going on with them here."

The most recent arrest was Cocoliato, who was taken into custody on Oct. 1. He was charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of paraphernalia. Jail records show he was released without having to post bail.

Also charged with drug offenses was fellow Pi Kappa Phi member Aaron Cowell, records show. Cowell, 19, was arrested on Sept. 20 on felony charges of marijuana and controlled substance possession and a misdemeanor paraphernalia possession count. He was released after posting $7,000 bail, records show.

Michael Pappas III, 20, was charged on Sept. 21 with felony possession of marijuana and a controlled substance and a violation of probation stemming from a cocaine charge. He was released after posting $9,000 bail, records show.

On Sept. 28, Tampa police arrested Brandon Chatkin on three felony counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and a misdemeanor charge of possession of paraphernalia. Chatkin, 19, was released after posting $12,000 bail, records show.

The Minaret's online product asked readers about the arrests and 51 percent said all schools have drugs on campus. Thirty-two percent said the drug arrests made the school look bad and 16 percent responded by saying the arrests were sensationalized.

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