SUNY-ESF student arraigned in city court for unlawful possession of marijuana
A SUNY-ESF student was arraigned in Syracuse Criminal Court on Tuesday, three weeks after he and his housemate were arrested during a police raid at their Westcott Street residence. Police confiscated cocaine, marijuana, LSD, mushrooms, at least $5,000 and a shotgun during the raid.
Clayton Ruggles, a senior in the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, appeared before Judge James Cecile shortly after 9:40 a.m. Ruggleswas arrested on a charge of unlawful possession of marijuana following the Nov. 1 raid at 822Westcott St.
Ruggles’ arraignment lasted less than a minute. The charge will be dropped if Ruggles stays out of criminal trouble for one year, said Tom Miller, Ruggles’ defense attorney, after the hearing.
Matthew Cleere, a senior at ESF and Ruggles‘ housemate, was arrested on nine charges, including one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, two counts of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of criminal possession of marijuana and five counts relating to criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Cleere’s arraignment was moved to Onondaga County Court, which handles felony cases in the area, said a clerk at the Syracuse Criminal Court. A judge has yet to be assigned to Cleere’s case.
