Stony Brook University student William Turri arraigned on charges of selling drugs on campus

A Stony Brook student was arraigned Tuesday on charges that he sold drugs three times on the university campus.

William Turri pleaded not guilty in First District Court in Central Islip and was released under supervision and GPS monitoring. He is due back in court May 19.

Prosecutors said Turri had engaged in three sales of methamphetamine this month and an additional two ounces of the drug was found in a search of his dormitory room. Packaging was also found that is typically used in "street level narcotics sales," police said in charging documents.

His defense lawyer Michael Scott Pernesiglio said this was Turri's first arrest and he noted that his parents had come down from upstate New York to support him. Turri is majoring in economics and is a good student with a 3.1 GPA, the attorney said.

"I have seen drugs kill a lot of people," Judge Alonzo Jacobs said to Turri, saying that he had lost friends to drugs.

Jacobs said: "I hope you go on and live a productive life. Keep your head up."

Prosecutors said, if convicted, Turri faces 3 to 10 years in prison or lifetime probation.

Suffolk and state police searching his Stony Brook University dorm room in Mount Hall earlier this month had discovered "methamphetamines, ketamine, and items used for drug sales" and arrested the 20-year-old man, authorities said.

Turri, who is from upstate Fairport, near Rochester, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia.

An investigation into Turri began after Suffolk police received "an anonymous CrimeStoppers tip," Stony Brook University officials said Monday, referring to the county police department's tip line. The university did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday following Turri's arraignment.

Stony Brook students are rarely arrested, but sometimes disciplined, for drug use or possession on campus, according to U.S. Department of Education data. No students were arrested for drug violations on campus in 2021, 2022 or 2023, the three most recent years for which data regarding campus safety and security for universities across the country is available. In 2021, 20 students faced disciplinary actions for drug violations, followed by 18 students in 2022 and 46 in 2023. The university did not respond to Newsday's emailed question regarding the nature of these disciplinary actions.