A recent plea bargain resulted in the dismissal of a drug trafficking charge against a Kent State student.

Jeremy Dalton was arrested last Fall for having about 18 grams of cocaine. Dalton was also carrying $591 at the time of arrest. In a previous article about the arrest, Portage County Sheriff Duane Kaley estimated the street value of the cocaine in Dalton’s possession to be about $1,700.

Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said Dalton, an exploratory major at Kent State, was offered a plea bargain deal that if he pleaded guilty to possession, the trafficking charge would be dismissed.

Dalton took the deal. He also forfeited the $591.

Vigluicci said many cases where a trafficking charge isn’t made from a hand-to-hand sale will result in a plea bargain.

Dalton’s attorney Michael Bowler said the plea bargain was developed because of a lack of evidence for the trafficking charge.

“I think the main influence was that he wasn’t guilty of trafficking,” Bowler said.

Bowler said he didn’t believe the nature of the arrest had any influence on the plea bargain.

During the arrest, Dalton attempted to run away and police used two Taser devices to subdue him. In a previous article about the arrest, Kent Police Lt. Jayme Cole said the first Taser device didn’t connect.

However, Bowler said he didn’t think the use of force had any influence on the decision for a plea bargain.

Currently, the case is in pre-sentence investigation. Vigluicci said during this process, Dalton will be interviewed by the probation office. Criminal record and nature of the arrest for the current charge will be considered before determining the sentence.

Dalton was charged with underage consumption in 2005. The charge was dismissed.

Contact enterprise reporter Amadeus Smith at [email protected]