A member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity remains in Delaware County jail after he and another member were arrested early Wednesday in connection with a burglary at the Theta Chi fraternity house, according to jail officials.
Ball State University police arrested Dustin Koch on suspicion of burglary and theft/possession of stolen property and James Finn on suspicion of theft/possession of stolen property and minor possession/consumption of alcohol, according to jail officials. Finn was released on a $6,000 bond on Wednesday, but Koch is ineligible for bond because he was charged with burglary.
Gene Burton, director of public safety, said police arrested the men after they were found with property that Theta Chi reported as stolen Tuesday.
According to police reports, Theta Chi reported somebody had stolen paddles, trophies, composite photos and a fraternity flag from the house sometime between 2 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday. The total value of the stolen property was worth about $2,750, according to reports.
Burton said police received a call reporting a sighting of the stolen items in the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house. Officers were able to see the composite photos in Finn's bedroom through a window, Burton said.
Theta Chi President Caleb Boucher said none of the recovered property was damaged.
"There was nothing of any real value to anyone but our fraternity as far as any street value," Boucher said.
The fraternity no longer has any legal involvement with the case, he said, and the Delaware County Prosecutors Office will decide whether to press charges.
The prosecutors office could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Lynda Wiley, director of student life, said she was still gathering information from members of both fraternities.
"The first thing before we move any further, I need to get a copy of the police report," Wiley said. "That will guide me on what I should do next."
Once student life has collected information about what happened, Wiley said, it will decide whether the university should hold Koch and Finn accountable individually or sanction Delta Tau Delta fraternity as a whole.
If student life decides Koch and Finn are individually responsible, then the Office of Student Rights and Community Standards will handle the case, Wiley said. If the fraternity is determined to be responsible as a whole, the case will go through the Interfraternity Council judicial board, the Student Organizations judicial board or the Ball State administration.
Wiley said she could not remember any previous problems between the two fraternities.
"I think, in general, there's somewhat of an ebb and flow," she said. "It may be certain times of the year or group dynamics. It's not uncommon for things to be taken or pranks to be pulled. I think maybe this has risen to a higher level."
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