ASHLAND – Brandon Campo pleaded guilty in Ashland Municipal Court Wednesday to one count each of schedule four drug possession and endangering children.
In exchange for Campo’s guilty pleas, the Ashland city law director’s office agreed to drop charges of possession of criminal tools, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Schedule four drugs are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence.
Campo, the son of Ashland University president Carlos Campo, was arrested at the university June 19 on a complaint alleging he was arranging illegal marijuana and prescription drug transactions.
Following the arrest, Ashland Police took Campo to his home outside the city on Ohio 60, where they seized four bottles of marijuana, one bag of marijuana, a leather bag with marijuana grinders, two bottles containing a total of 20 pills, a digital scale, two glass pipes, a jar with marijuana residue, a marijuana smoker and a box with marijuana seeds and rolling papers, according to a police report.
Some of the items were concealed in a bathroom ceiling while others were found in bathroom cabinets and a bedroom dresser, authorities said.
Police also arrested Campo’s wife, Madeline Campo. She was charged with endangering children, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.
Madeline pleaded guilty Wednesday to the drug paraphernalia and marijuana possession charges, both minor misdemeanors. The child endangering charge was dropped. Municipal Court Judge John Good told Madeline that while he could sentence her immediately, he decided instead to wait for a pre-sentence investigation to be completed for both cases.
“To be quite frank, I don’t really know very much about this case,” Good said. “It’s in some respect a high-profile case. It’s gotten some publicity. But I don’t really know much about what has happened … I’d like to know more about both of you, and I’d like to know more about the facts.”
Good scheduled sentencing in both cases for Jan. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
Following the hearing, Good told court staff, “There is a lot of rumor and innuendo in this case, and the court is interested in the truth.”
