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ZBT party ends in red tags, arrests


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JAKE LACEY/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was red tagged this weekend after the police discovered a party with underage drinking and other illegal activities taking place. Both the president and the vice president of the house were arrested on charges of selling alcohol to minors and possession of narcotics.
By Danielle Rideau
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
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The president and vice president of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity were arrested on charges of narcotic possession and selling alcohol to minors after police responded to a party at the residence, reports stated.

Zeta Beta Tau president Jared Letzt was arrested for possession of cocaine, and vice president Jake Cohen was arrested for selling alcohol without a liquor license and underage drinking, police reports stated.

University of Arizona Police Department and Tucson Police Department responded to a call Friday night and found a party with more than 400 people at the apartment complex occupied by the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, 1011 N. Tydall Ave., reports stated.

Zeta Beta Tau fraternity is not recognized by the UA Interfraternity Council for violations committed in previous years.

Police arrived at the complex and found about 50 people outside the front door, and about 350 in the courtyard and overhanging balconies, reports stated.

A-Team security officers, who were hired by the fraternity to check identifications and control the crowd, told police they lost control of the crowd. Security officers were also handing out wristbands to distinguish between minors and persons who were of legal drinking age, reports stated.

Most of the people in attendance were drinking alcoholic beverages from plastic cups and many appeared to be underage, reports stated.

After attempts to get people out of the courtyard, a police officer used the disk jockey's public announcement system and asked the patrons to leave the party, reports stated.

Many people were going in and out of several apartments and one had a strong odor of marijuana in front of the door, reports stated.

Police contacted Letzt, who told officers the fraternity was having a fundraiser for the police foundation, but they were accepting donations in exchange for alcohol rather than selling it, reports stated.

Letzt was searched as part of arrest routine, and police found a vial of 0.07 grams of a white substance in his one of his pockets, which was later tested and confirmed to be cocaine, reports stated.

Letzt also had a fake California driver's license in his possession, reports stated.

Police red tagged five of the apartments and the exterior doors of the complex, and informed Cohen and Letzt they were responsible for the entire complex, reports stated.

Letzt was booked for possession of a narcotic, but reports stated there is probable cause to arrest him for selling liquor without a license, selling and providing liquor to underage people, minor in possession of alcohol, and possession of fake identification.

Sgt. Eugene Mejia of UAPD was not at the scene but, after reviewing the police report he said "it is pretty disgusting conduct, and the actions of the officers were appropriate for the conduct that was displayed.

"Too much liquor or drugs leads to conduct like this, and that's why underage people should not be consuming alcohol," Mejia said. "The combination reduces a person's ability to think straight and do the right thing."

Both Letzt and Cohen refused to comment on the incident.



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