FAIRFAX, Va. – A George Mason University student was charged with distributing the LSD a fellow student took before plunging to his death, and a possible cheating scandal was uncovered during the death investigation, according to reports from affiliate WUSA9.
Tristan Tanner Medina,19, died Sept. 30, 2017, after jumping or falling out of a fifth-floor window of a residence hall while under the influence of LSD, court documents indicate.
Alejandro Porrata
Alejandro Porrata, 19, of Annandale, Va., was indicted in January by a grand jury after Medina's death, according to the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney.
Both Medina and Porrata were members of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which has been temporarily suspended from GMU after a university probe around Medina’s death.
During the course of the death investigation, WUSA9 reports that stolen exams which implicated the fraternity’s involvement were allegedly found on Medina's computer.
The SAE fraternity remains temporarily suspended from campus as the investigation continues, according to GMU spokesman Michael Sandler.
Recently unsealed search warrants revealed stolen university exams were found on the student's computer, according to WUSA9.
Tristan Tanner Medina
The warrants said there was communication about "test banks" between SAE leaders.
The search warrant documents alleged conversations between students; "Yo, (name) how can I get one of the tests from our test bank?"
GMU spokesman Sandler shared the following statement to WUSA9 on Wednesday:
"In September, police opened a criminal investigation into the death of a student on campus. During the course of that investigation, police discovered a test bank, which included images of university exams that people could access.
The issue of the test bank was referred to the Office of Student Conduct to look into the misuse of university documents. No criminal charges have been brought.
Student Conduct began an administrative process that can result in disciplinary action. The university cannot discuss the identity of students involved or any potential disciplinary action against the individuals, as they are considered educational records and are protected under FERPA. The fraternity was suspended on an interim basis pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing. That process is still underway and final disciplinary action may follow."
