Former Michigan running back Austin White wanted on drug charges in Mount Pleasant
Update, 4:06 p.m.: Austin White turns himself in, CMU police confirm
Former University of Michigan running back Austin White will soon turn himself into police to be arrested on charges of manufacturing and delivering narcotics, possession and maintaining a drug house in Mount Pleasant, according to reports.
White, a Livonia native and the son of Pioneer High School principal Michael White, was a member of the Central Michigan football team last year, but was not eligible to play after transferring from Michigan just a few days into fall camp of his freshman season. White had been suspended from and reinstated to CMU's team during the season for undisclosed reasons and Wednesday morning was kicked off of the team.
Central Michigan police arrested Joe Sawicki and Danel Harris, also football players, inside a residence hall on campus Tuesday night while investigating a felony larceny case. According to reports, drug activity, including the narcotic psilocybin, a hallucinogenic drug found in some mushrooms, was discovered during the investigation. White's whereabouts were unknown at the time, but a warrant went out for his arrest.
White remains at large, but according to Central's student newspaper, he plans to turn himself in to police at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. CMU police chief Bill Yeagley told CM-Life there was no evidence that White fled. White and Sawicki are both facing charges of manufacturing and delivering narcotics, possession and maintaining a drug house. Harris was arrested for felony larceny of a vehicle.
Comments
wwtt?
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 12:59 a.m.
This will, indeed, be interesting to follow. Mr. White is not only zero tolerance - he is misguided zero tolerance pursuing his own version of guilt, intimidation, and heavy handed, military-based "justice". Did he apply that to his own family - or should he have?
bluemax79
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 12:39 p.m.
Nice Headline. he was dismissed from Michigan when RR was here due to some issues. he has been at CMU since, isn't he a former CMU running back?
FormerMichRes
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 12:25 p.m.
Note a few commenters continuing to roll out those prison population stats to support their case for legalizing drugs. Tired, old news. The problem is that many of the drug users are also commiting other crimes to support their habits. Let's face it, we have permanent underclass in this country which is in almost constant trouble with the law, whether it's drugs or other crimes. All you have to do is read the many crime related stories in AnnArbor.com. It's nearly always the same descriptions, the same profile ... and oh, by the way they are often illegal drug users as well.
JustfortheRecord
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 5:53 a.m.
Drugs are bad. War on drugs, not working: There are now more Americans in jail -- 6 million -- than there were in Stalin's Gulag, reports Fareed Zakaria, in a column called "Incarceration Nation." And it's not just a relative population thing. The U.S. has 760 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-23/news/31228384_1_drugs-prisoners-jail#ixzz1sSl8gz68 http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-23/news/31228384_1_drugs-prisoners-jail
Doug
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 1:50 p.m.
Better in jail than on the streets.
DBH
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 3:15 a.m.
At this point he only has been accused of criminal activity, not convicted of it. He deserves the presumption of innocence.
hmsp
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 2:20 a.m.
@boo Re: "would you feel the same way if he wasn't the son of someone you knew. or would he be another drug dealer then? I say a drug dealer is a drug dealer no matter who's son he is." The person that you really need to ask that question of is Michael, "Zero Tolerance," White.
Terry Star21
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 1:52 a.m.
Don't read too much into this family thing, sometimes as parents we do everything right. Michael White is a first class person, parent and educator. He has done more for Pioneer High School than any principal has ever done and has positively affected thousands of our young. Best wishes for his son Austin.
wwtt?
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 1:12 a.m.
I disagree. Michael White has shown a blatant disregard for the rights of students at Pioneer, repeatedly oversteps the bounds of appropriate behavior, is disrespectful and takes advantage of situations by intimidating students. I, too, wish his son the best.
boo
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 2:05 a.m.
would you feel the same way if he wasn't the son of someone you knew. or would he be another drug dealer then? I say a drug dealer is a drug dealer no matter who's son he is. It's funny how some people will find a convenient way to support something so ridiculously wrong.
hmsp
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 1:42 a.m.
I hope that some very important conversations will be generated by this article, and I also hope that it won't DE-generate into mere sports talk, which has no place in this conversation (there, aa.com, how did I do this time? Will I be subjected to another twitchy-trigger-finger delete?)
Hailmary
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 11:53 p.m.
These lives are about to make a major shift and I hope they make the best of it. Once your in the system you really only have 2 directions and I don't mean East or West.
Scott Laux
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 9:44 p.m.
He didn't come from an impoverished background. There is no excuse- although many in our enabling society will try and come up with one. Not much worse than being a drug dealer and killing off people's souls and bodies.
Sallyxyz
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 1:27 a.m.
Coming from an impoverished background does not excuse drug crimes, there is no excuse. This kid came from a privileged background. Drug crimes cut across all socio-economic backgrounds. Let's hope his "privileged" background doesn't get him off the hook on these serious crimes.
xmo
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 8:49 p.m.
I feel sorry for Austin White, First, he went to Michigan and second, his dad is a Principal at Pioneer High School.
Hailmary
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 11:55 p.m.
Interesting choice of pity.
hmsp
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 8:28 p.m.
I am saddened to read this. I am also curious as to whether, in the long run, this will end up having an effect on the atmosphere at Pioneer. I know that to date, Mr. White has taken a decidedly "tough love," zero-tolerance, stance at Pioneer, which many agree with, and many do not. Certainly if Mr. White, a man of more means than most, ends up hiring the best legal help he can afford for his son, he will end up putting himself in the spotlight, and attracting heat, especially from some of the families with fewer options when it comes to legal defense. There is also the possibility, though, that he will walk his talk, and leave his son to fend for himself. One way or the other, I see this case as having a direct effect or our local community — at the very least an effect on the conversations that we have re zero tolerance policies.
wwtt?
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 1:05 a.m.
I've seen Michael White's heavy-handedness at work. Call me cynical but I bet he gets his son off the hook....no zero tolerance for family. Double standard? You bet.
kms
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 : 9:33 p.m.
I agree...you bring up some interesting points. As I recall last year about this time, Mr. White came down pretty hard on the students participating in the Pioneer scavenger hunt pranks, interrogating them fairly intensely and punishing them all equally even though not every single kid committed an act of vandalism.
Pete Cunningham
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 8:11 p.m.
Update: Austin White has turned himself into police and is being lodged in Isabella County jail according to CM-Life http://www.cm-life.com/2012/04/18/austin-white-turns-himself-in-cmu-police-confirm/
The Black Stallion3
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 7:18 p.m.
What a way to make a living......so much for higher education.
smokeblwr
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 7:06 p.m.
I think he left the UM team shortly after fall camp. No reason was given by Rodriguez.
heartbreakM
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.
Oh, geez. That is sad for all sorts of reasons, and goes beyond "recreational use". Who knows if this is why he left the team?