SPANISH FORK — Police have arrested three Snow College students following a bizarre drug deal Sunday.
In addition to possible criminal charges, they face discipline as students.
Around 8:45 p.m., Spanish Fork police say the three students — including two members of the Snow College football team — arranged to buy marijuana. Instead of turning over cash, they pulled their guns on the dealer, who called 911.
Police received a call from a man claiming he witnessed an aggravated robbery. Officers found the victim and interviewed him. According to the police affidavit, the victim told police that guns were displayed, with one pointed at him.
He described the men as black, one of whom had dreadlocks and another wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, according to the affidavit. The victim then told police the men got into a silver passenger car with front-end damage.
Not long after the alleged incident, an officer spotted the car and pulled it over.
“They admitted to being there for the purpose of buying marijuana, and they also did admit it was their intent to brandish the handguns to take the marijuana from the individual without paying for it,” Spanish Fork Police Lt. Matt Johnson said.
A quarter-pound bag of marijuana and three guns — a .380 pistol, a BB gun and an airsoft BB gun — were found inside the car.
Xavier Juvon Francis, 19, Dreshown Ashton Dean, 19, and Cedric Donald Everson, 25, were booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of aggravated robbery, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm.
“Due to there being three parties involved in a conspiracy to commit a crime of aggravated robbery, drug offenses and firearm offenses, the drug and firearm charges are enhanced for gang enhancement,” according to the affidavit.
Francis and Dean play football at Snow College.
“We have a couple of kids who made some bad decisions, and that is not what we are about in our department,” said Rob Nielson, athletic director at Snow College.
Francis was seeing some playing time this season, while Dean was a redshirt.
“They are no longer with the team,” Nielson said. “We, of course, we will go through the legal process as far as what happens with the police and the school code of conduct, but at this time, they won't be associated with the team anymore."
Police said the 911 call from the victim that got them involved was very unusual.
"We don't know the mindset of the victim, calling 911 to report his marijuana had been stolen, that firearms were pulled on him,” Johnson said. “But you also don't know the mindset of the three suspects allegedly coming to strong-arm the individual for his marijuana.”
Police say they are referring the man who planned to sell the marijuana to the county attorney’s office for possible charges of distributing drugs.
Contributing: Viviane Vo-Duc
Email: spenrod@deseretnews.com