Julian Edgren

Julian Edgren, 20, appeared in Princeton Municipal Court Monday following his arrest last week on drugs related offenses. If found guilty of charges that include a first degree crime, Mr. Edgren could face a fine of up to $200,000 and between 10 and 20 years in prison. In addition, the Princeton University student faces 11 other lesser degree counts.

Mr. Edgren, was arrested by the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force after he went to pick up packages that had been mailed to him at the University’s Frist Campus Center.

According to authorities, the packages contained drugs. Mr. Edgren was charged with multiple counts of drug possession and intent to distribute. Authorities also raided his dormitory where they found other drugs and drug paraphernalia. He is currently free on $25,000 bail.

According to Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr., last month agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from overseas containing approximately seven grams of Ecstasy addressed to Julian Edgren at Princeton University. Princeton University’s Department of Public Safety was contacted and, in turn, contacted the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force for assistance.

Task force officers were assigned as surveillance inside and outside Frist Campus Center in an attempt to detain any individual who retrieved the parcel.

On Tuesday, January 6, at approximately 4 p.m., officers arrested Mr. Edgren after he signed for and retrieved the package containing the Ecstasy as well as two additional packages. One of those packages was searched and found to contain a quantity of psilocybin, commonly known as mushrooms. A search of Mr. Edgren’s dormitory room in Edwards Hall revealed an additional quantity of psilocybin, 31 marijuana cookies, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

At the time Mr. Edgren was detained, he was carrying a duffel bag containing approximately half an ounce of liquid LSD, 55 grams of marijuana, five grams of hashish, 60 Adderall pills, a laptop computer, two digital scales and $400 in cash.

The Princeton resident is charged with five counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, five counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute, one count of possession of a prescription legend drug, one count of a prescription legend drug with the intent to distribute and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Officers with the prosecutor’s office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Princeton University Department of Public Safety, the county sheriff’s office, the New Jersey State Police, and the Hamilton, Lawrence, Princeton and Trenton police, under the command of Lt. Mike Novembre, assisted in the investigation.

Mr. Novembre stated that the approximate street value of the seized drugs is $400 for the psilocybin totaling 40 grams; $420 for the Adderall pills; $1,100 for the marijuana; $500 for the LSD; $280 for the Ecstasy; and $175 for the hashish.

Despite having been charged, Mr. Edgren is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In Princeton Municipal Court Monday, he was asked whether he understood the charges against him and ordered to appear in Mercer County Criminal Court on Monday, January 26.