Chicago Student Charged With Felony

Hobbit

Senior Member
Mar 25, 2004
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...for possessing powdered sugar, a "look-alike drug."

The kid brought it to school for a project. Some of the other student asked if it was cocaine, and the kid would say, "Yeah...just kidding!" A janitor heard his comments, so he got suspended for two weeks and has now been charged with a felony, though the article doesn't say exactly what that felony is.

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_042233323.html
 
Update with more information:


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AURORA — A 12-year-old Aurora boy arrested after bringing powdered sugar to school was charged with a misdemeanor — not a felony — count of possession of a look-alike substance, Aurora police said Saturday.

The sixth-grade student at Waldo Middle School, who is not identified because he is a minor, was charged Wednesday after telling a classmate that a bag of powdered sugar was crack cocaine and inviting him to a bathroom to ingest it, according to preliminary findings police released on Saturday.

When a custodian walked into the bathroom, he witnessed the two boys with a suspicious package and took them to the office where school administrators and the Aurora Police School Resource Officer began their investigation, police said.

During the investigation, the boy admitted that the day before the arrest, he told the classmate that he would be bringing crack cocaine to school, police said.

However, the boy's mother said Saturday her son maintains the incident was a joke.

The parents were not present for the interview with school officials, though the school attempted to contact the boy's family using an emergency contact card, police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said.

The boy, who was taken to the Aurora Police Department, was charged by the school resource officer and referred to Kane County Juvenile Court Services, Ferrelli added.

"The only reason we brought him back to the station was so that we could release him to his parents," Ferrelli said.

According to the boy, he brought the substance to school as part of a science experiment in which he was investigating why regular sugar sinks in water and powdered sugar floats, his mother said. His mother added that the boy was carrying the bag in his shoe at one point because he "thought it would be funny to play around."

The boy was suspended from school for two weeks.

On Friday, the Aurora Police Department referred questions on the status of the boy's case to Juvenile Court Services.

Juvenile Court Services, however, does not release specifics on individual cases, though Deputy Director Jeffrey Jefko said Friday that possession of a look-alike substance could be charged as a felony, carrying a penalty of up to five years' probation.

The 12-year-old in this case was only charged with a misdemeanor, Aurora police confirmed Saturday.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/city/2_1_AU12_KIDARREST_S1.htm
 
The boy obviously has some issues if he thinks pretending to do crack in the bathroom is funny or somehow advantageous to his reputation, but the event surely doesn't warrant police involvement.

This sort of thing is just ridiculous. Who would've thought bringing powdered sugar to school would merit a misdemeanor? These people need to get a freakin' grip!
 
Hagbard Celine said:
The boy obviously has some issues if he thinks pretending to do crack in the bathroom is funny or somehow advantageous to his reputation, but the event surely doesn't warrant police involvement.

This sort of thing is just ridiculous. Who would've thought bringing powdered sugar to school would merit a misdemeanor? These people to get a freakin' grip!

Meanwhile, four of five other students are probably selling the real thing in the bathroom down the hall. Overreactionary BS is what this is.
 
GotZoom said:
Update with more information:


----
AURORA — A 12-year-old Aurora boy arrested after bringing powdered sugar to school was charged with a misdemeanor — not a felony — count of possession of a look-alike substance, Aurora police said Saturday.

The sixth-grade student at Waldo Middle School, who is not identified because he is a minor, was charged Wednesday after telling a classmate that a bag of powdered sugar was crack cocaine and inviting him to a bathroom to ingest it, according to preliminary findings police released on Saturday.

When a custodian walked into the bathroom, he witnessed the two boys with a suspicious package and took them to the office where school administrators and the Aurora Police School Resource Officer began their investigation, police said.

During the investigation, the boy admitted that the day before the arrest, he told the classmate that he would be bringing crack cocaine to school, police said.

However, the boy's mother said Saturday her son maintains the incident was a joke.

The parents were not present for the interview with school officials, though the school attempted to contact the boy's family using an emergency contact card, police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said.

The boy, who was taken to the Aurora Police Department, was charged by the school resource officer and referred to Kane County Juvenile Court Services, Ferrelli added.

"The only reason we brought him back to the station was so that we could release him to his parents," Ferrelli said.

According to the boy, he brought the substance to school as part of a science experiment in which he was investigating why regular sugar sinks in water and powdered sugar floats, his mother said. His mother added that the boy was carrying the bag in his shoe at one point because he "thought it would be funny to play around."

The boy was suspended from school for two weeks.

On Friday, the Aurora Police Department referred questions on the status of the boy's case to Juvenile Court Services.

Juvenile Court Services, however, does not release specifics on individual cases, though Deputy Director Jeffrey Jefko said Friday that possession of a look-alike substance could be charged as a felony, carrying a penalty of up to five years' probation.

The 12-year-old in this case was only charged with a misdemeanor, Aurora police confirmed Saturday.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/city/2_1_AU12_KIDARREST_S1.htm


Just want to make clear here, this kid falls under either DuPage or Kane County jurisdiction, not Cook-which is the 'Chicago Suburban' county.
 
If I was the kid's dad, I would let the the authorities do what they want - provided nothing stays on the kid's record of course.

Joking about drug sales, drug use, any illegal activity is plain wrong.

This should teach him a lesson.
 
GotZoom said:
If I was the kid's dad, I would let the the authorities do what they want - provided nothing stays on the kid's record of course.

Joking about drug sales, drug use, any illegal activity is plain wrong.

This should teach him a lesson.

You're kidding, right? Now we're presuming to police what people think or consider humorous? I think THAT is plain wrong.

Granted, the kid saying a bag of sugar was dope was asking for it, but c'mon. It's STILL a bag of sugar.
 

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