Miami University seniors charged with drug trafficking days before graduation
TO EXPECT FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND WHEN I COME BACK. ALL RIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH. W█ELL,AS THOUSANDSOFMIAMI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS GET READY TO GRADUATE THIS WEEKEND, TWO SENIORS ARE NOW FACING THE POSSIBILITY OF JAIL TIME. IT’S BEEN ALL THE BUZZ UP THERE IN OXFORD, THAT’S FOR SURE. A SECOND STUDENT NOW ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO A COCAINE INVESTIGATION IN OXFORD, FACED A JUDGE THIS MORNING, AND ONLY WLWT WAS IN THE COURTROOM, OF COURSE. KAREN JOHNSON THERE. SHE’S LIVE RIGHT NOW IN BUTLER COUNTY. HI, KAREN. WELL, HEY, MIKE. YOU KNOW, GRADUATION IS TOMORROW, BUT FOR TWO MIAMI UNIVERSITY SENIORS, IT’S NOT CLEAR IF THEY’LL BE WALKING. AT LAST CHECK, THE ONE WHO WAS ARRESTED LAST NIGHT IS STILL IN THE BUTLER COUNTY JAIL TONIGHT. IT’S GRADUATION WEEKEND IN OXFORD. BUT INSTEAD OF CELEBRATING WITH OTHERS AROUND TOWN, WHAT YEAR IN SCHOOL ARE YOU? 22 YEAR OLD MICHAEL VERLINDEN SPENT THE DAY IN JAIL AND ANSWERING TO A MAGISTRATE AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH COMPLICITY TO DRUG TRAFFICKING AND POSSESSION. HE AND HIS FRIEND, ANOTHER MIAMI SENIOR, WILL ESSLER, WERE CHARGED WITH FELONY DRUG CHARGES AFTER OXFORD POLICE RAIDED BOTH OF THEIR HOMES, ONE ON SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE AND THE OTHER ON EAST WALNUT. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY SEIZED 30G OF COCAINE AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION. THERE WAS OTHER THINGS THAT WERE COLLECTED AT THE SEARCH WARRANT THAT WOULD LEAD US TO BELIEVE THAT, YES, THIS THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE SELLING AND NOT JUST USING. ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, POSTAL WORKERS TIPPED OFF POLICE ABOUT A SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE ADDRESSED TO ESSLER WHEN THEY CONDUCTED A CONTROLLED DELIVERY. INVESTIGATORS SAY VERLINDEN PICKED UP THE PACKAGE. POLICE SAY THEY FOUND MESSAGES BETWEEN THE TWO ABOUT PURCHASING DRUGS OFF THE DARK WEB, AND FOUND MESSAGES BETWEEN VERLINDEN AND NUMEROUS PEOPLE ABOUT BUYING AND SELLING DRUGS. YEAH, NOT THE WEEKEND THAT THEIR PARENTS PROBABLY WANTED TO HAVE IF THEY WERE ELIGIBLE FOR GRADUATION BEFORE THIS. OXFORD POLICE SAY COCAINE USE SEEMS TO BE MORE COMMON THAN IN THE PAST, AND THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING THAT WE’RE TARGETING SENIORS SO THEY MIGHT HAVE JOBS ALREADY LINED UP THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE ANYMORE. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE THESE CRIMINAL CHARGES THAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE, AS WELL AS DEAL WITH THE UNIVERSITY. AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT CLEAR IF MIAMI UNIVERSITY IS TAKING ANY ACTION BECAUSE NO ONE FROM THE UNIVERSITY RETURNED MY CALLS TODAY. ONE OTHER POINT I WANTED TO MENTION FROM THE LIEUTENANT, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, WHEN YOU BUY DRUGS ON THE STREETS OR ESPECIALLY THE DARK WEB, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING. AND POLICE ACROSS THE REGION SEE, ALL THE TIME DRUGS LACED WITH OTHER DRUGS, SOMETIMES EVEN FENTANYL, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS DEADLY. REPORTING LIVE IN BUTLER COUNTY TONIGHT. KAREN JOHNSON, WLWT NEWS FIVE. ERIN, WE TRY TO INGRAIN THAT INTO T
Miami University seniors charged with drug trafficking days before graduation
Updated: 6:33 PM EDT May 15, 2026
Two Miami University seniors are facing felony drug charges after police seized cocaine and uncovered evidence of drug trafficking in Oxford, Ohio, just days before graduation. Michael Verlinden, 22, appeared before Magistrate Ronna Lucas in Butler County on charges of complicity to drug trafficking and complicity to drug possession. Verlinden and his friend, fellow senior Will Esler, were arrested after Oxford police raided their homes on South College Avenue and East Walnut Street. Investigators said they seized 30 grams of cocaine during the raids. Esler is charged with drug trafficking and possession”There were other things collected at the search warrant that would lead us to believe that yes, these individuals were selling and not just using,” Lt. Adam Price of the Oxford Police Department said. According to court documents, postal workers tipped off police about a suspicious package addressed to Esler. After conducting a controlled delivery, investigators said Verlinden picked up the package. Police also said they found messages between the two seniors discussing purchasing drugs off the dark web, as well as messages between Verlinden and others about buying and selling drugs. “Yeah, not the weekend their parents probably wanted to have if they were eligible for graduation before this,” Price said. Oxford police noted that cocaine use appears to be more common than in the past and emphasized the risks of buying drugs on the street or dark web, where substances could be laced with fentanyl. Police said these arrests should also serve as a warning to other students.”We’re talking about seniors, so they might have jobs lined up that they might not have anymore, and they have these criminal charges that they are going to have to face as well as deal with the university,” Price said. It is not yet clear if Miami University has taken any action or if the students will be able to graduate.
OXFORD, Ohio —
Two Miami University seniors are facing felony drug charges after police seized cocaine and uncovered evidence of drug trafficking in Oxford, Ohio, just days before graduation.
Michael Verlinden, 22, appeared before Magistrate Ronna Lucas in Butler County on charges of complicity to drug trafficking and complicity to drug possession. Verlinden and his friend, fellow senior Will Esler, were arrested after Oxford police raided their homes on South College Avenue and East Walnut Street. Investigators said they seized 30 grams of cocaine during the raids. Esler is charged with drug trafficking and possession
“There were other things collected at the search warrant that would lead us to believe that yes, these individuals were selling and not just using,” Lt. Adam Price of the Oxford Police Department said.
According to court documents, postal workers tipped off police about a suspicious package addressed to Esler. After conducting a controlled delivery, investigators said Verlinden picked up the package. Police also said they found messages between the two seniors discussing purchasing drugs off the dark web, as well as messages between Verlinden and others about buying and selling drugs.
“Yeah, not the weekend their parents probably wanted to have if they were eligible for graduation before this,” Price said.
Oxford police noted that cocaine use appears to be more common than in the past and emphasized the risks of buying drugs on the street or dark web, where substances could be laced with fentanyl.
Police said these arrests should also serve as a warning to other students.
“We’re talking about seniors, so they might have jobs lined up that they might not have anymore, and they have these criminal charges that they are going to have to face as well as deal with the university,” Price said.
It is not yet clear if Miami University has taken any action or if the students will be able to graduate.