Even more dazed and confused

San Diego State University police and Federal law enforcement officers arrested 75 students and 21 non-students after a year-long investigation into a drug production and distribution ring. According to the San Diego County District Attorney, authorities seized “four pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 48 hydroponic marijuana plants, 350 ecstasy pills, psilocybin (mushrooms), 30 vials of hash oil, methamphetamine, various illicit prescription drugs, one shotgun, three semi-automatic pistols, three brass knuckles and $60,000 in cash.” The year-long undercover investigation, dubbed “Operation Sudden Fall,” stemmed from the drug-overdose death of an SDSU student in 2007.

The District Attorney identified a member of the Theta Chi fraternity as having a central role in the drug ring, though six other fraternities were searched. CityBeat intern Megan Burks located a 2006 news story in The Daily Aztec about a ground-breaking ceremony for a new, three-story Theta Chi house for 39 frat members at below-market rates (the organization is still doing fund-raising to cover the $4 million cost). The story quotes SDSU student life director Doug Case as saying that Theta Chi has a 61-year “spotless record,” in part because of the fraternity’s alcohol-free policy.

Dan Taylor, the executive director of Theta Chi’s national organization, told Burks that the SDSU chapter had been suspended, which means they’ll be limited in their ability to hold events and promote pledges to full membership. He also said the national organization could take action against individuals involved in drug sales and possibly strip the SDSU chapter of its charter if an investigation finds that members knew what was going on and did nothing to stop it. Any student living on campus who was part of the bust has been evicted from student housing.

The Daily Aztec article also points out that San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox was a member of the fraternity; Cox described his experience there as “formative” (he was fraternity treasurer). A spokesperson for Cox said the supervisor has been in meetings all morning and was unavailable for comment.