Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – An Arkansas State University student faces up to life in prison after police found a handgun and marijuana in his campus apartment following a suspected drug deal caught on video.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers began investigating 19-year-old Aryan Ashok Chugani after surveillance footage captured him conducting a suspected transaction with an individual in a vehicle in the 100 block of Dean Street at 9:53 a.m. on March 5.
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The footage provided probable cause for officers to search Chugani’s on-campus apartment. During the search, police reported finding several items consistent with the sale and distribution of narcotics, including a Glock model 21 handgun, packaging materials, digital scales, and 29 grams of marijuana.
During a Mirandized interview with investigators, Chugani admitted to selling marijuana on campus and acknowledged knowing the firearm was in his bedroom. According to the online jail roster, he was booked at 2:38 p.m. that afternoon.
Chugani later appeared before Circuit Judge Barbara Halsey, who found probable cause to charge him with three felonies:
- Simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms (Class Y felony)
- Possession of a Schedule VI substance with the purpose to deliver (Class D felony)
- Handguns — possession by a minor or on school property (Class D felony)
Chugani is being held on a $150,000 bond, and his next scheduled court date is April 23. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to life in prison and up to $20,000 in fines.
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