DURHAM – Authorities are refusing to comment on a police affidavit fingering a member of the Sigma Beta fraternity, which was raided in the fall, as the marijuana supplier to a fellow fraternity brother indicted this month on drug charges.
The affidavit, prepared by a detective with the state Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, says an undercover officer went to the Sigma Beta house on Madbury Road in August to buy drugs from David Mason, who was indicted in Strafford County Superior Court on four counts of felony drug sales.
While the officer was at the Sigma Beta house, a fellow fraternity brother named Matt asked Mason how much marijuana he had sold.
“Matt then commented that Mason can only sell because he (Matt) has the connection,” the affidavit says. “Matt went on to say that Mason was just a dealer and he (Matt) was the muscle and the brains.”
Matt’s last name isn’t listed in the affidavit, but the document says a criminal informant told police Matt is a Sigma Beta brother who lived at the fraternity house and is originally from Rhode Island. The informant also identified Matt’s vehicle to police, who noted it had Rhode Island plates, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit was used as proof to obtain a search warrant that led to a raid at Sigma Beta on Sept. 30 and the arrest of nine fraternity brothers. Mason is the only one arrested who has been indicted on felony charges.
Detective John Lepkowski, who signed the affidavit, would not speak about the case.
Matthew Bessette, of Lincoln, R.I., was charged with misdemeanor possession of alcohol and drugs, which was reduced to possession of alcohol. He pleaded guilty to that in Durham District Court yesterday morning in a deal with prosecutors that allowed the drug charge to be put on hold pending six months of good behavior and 20 hours of community service. Bessette received a $300 fine for the alcohol possession.
Bessette refused to discuss the affidavit yesterday.
“I’m not saying I am him, I’m not saying I’m not him, I’m just saying I have no comment,” he said.
University of New Hampshire police, who prosecuted the case, also would not comment about the affidavit.
When officers searched Bessette’s room, they came up with a laundry list of drug paraphernalia, according to an inventory filed in court. Seized items include rolling papers, a scale, two boxes of sandwich bags and several baggies filled with “vegetative matter.”
The list does not say precisely how much “vegetative matter” was recovered.
Deputy Strafford County Attorney Hope Flynn said this week she had no deal with Bessette and the case was being handled by UNH police because there were no possible felony charges involved.
UNH officials confirmed yesterday that Bessette is still a student at the school.
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