Delta Tau Delta member charged with drug trafficking

A Delta Tau Delta member was dealing drugs out of the chapter’s house and many of his 30 or so clients were his fraternity brothers, police said in a court hearing Tuesday.

Sophomore David Milam is charged with first-degree controlled substance trafficking, trafficking a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and possession of drug paraphernalia, court documents said. Milam declined comment after the hearing Tuesday. His attorney could not be reached.

UK Police Officer Jason Beetz and Lexington Police Sgt. Pat McBride visited the Delta Tau Delta house, located at 1410 Audobon Ave., at 10 p.m. Nov. 30 in response to complaints that Milam was trafficking drugs, court records said. As the officers approached Milam’s room on the second floor, they smelled marijuana, Beetz said in his testimony during a preliminary hearing on Milam’s charges Tuesday.

Milam gave the officers permission to search his room, and before they entered, Beetz said he could see a jar of marijuana on the floor. When they entered the room, the officers found six other men smoking marijuana and asked them to leave, Beetz said.

Once the room was cleared, Milam granted the officers permission to search his half of the room. They found three ounces of marijuana, six Adderall pills, two digital scales with marijuana residue and an Indiana driver’s license with false information, court documents said.

Beetz testified that Milam had plastic baggies and $1,700 in cash. During the search, Milam’s cell phone rang several times and when officers asked if they could search the contents of the phone, Milam declined, court documents said.

After officers read his Miranda Rights, Milam told them he had sold marijuana, Beetz said. Milam told Beetz he had roughly 30 clients, most of whom were members of the fraternity, Beetz said in his testimony. Beetz testified that he never asked if Milam sold the drugs from his room.

Junior Nick Stewart, Delta Tau Delta president, declined to comment on the fraternity’s situation.

Milam said he did not sell the Adderall, but used it to help him study for finals, Beetz testified. In his testimony, Beetz noted that the Adderall was located next to the baggies and the cash. It was unclear whether Milam had a prescription for the medication, Beetz said.

Once police concluded the search, Milam was arrested.

Milam pleaded not guilty to all charges Dec. 1 and was released from jail after his father posted $10,025 bail on Dec. 2.

With the information received in the search, Lexington Police obtained a search warrant for the content on Milam’s phone. Police searched the phone and confiscated 24 pictures, 141 contacts and 420 text messages, the warrant said.

Notable alumni of UK’s Delta Tau Delta chapter include Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, (R-Ky.) and former Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher.