UNC junior and his housemate charged with trafficking meth

CORRECTION: The original incident report for the drug violation stated that police responded to an incident of methamphetamine trafficking. The police now say that the arrest report for Alexander Joustra should have stated that the incident involved trafficking MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy. Police later determined that the substance under investigation was mephedrone. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

A UNC student and his housemate are in jail after being charged with trafficking of a kilogram of methamphetamine imported from Tanzania, according to Chapel Hill police reports.

UNC junior Christopher Thomas Potts, 20, and Alexander Henry Joustra, 22, were arrested at 7:30 p.m. Monday at 1813 Fordham Boulevard, reports state.

The two were also charged with possession with intent to sell and distribute the methamphetamine.

Joustra is being held at Orange County Jail in lieu of $100,150 secured bond, and Potts is being held in lieu of a $50,000 secured bond, a jail official said.

Lt. Jabe Hunter, who works in the Chapel Hill Police Department narcotics division, said the two men were arrested after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials intercepted the drugs from overseas.

“It was all packaged up,” Hunter said.

“It was ordered through FedEx, but one of my officers was posing as a FedEx delivery person.”

Hunter said officers suspect the kilogram of powdery substance is methamphetamine based on field tests, but the drugs are at a laboratory for confirmation.

He said the investigation is ongoing, and officers are looking into how the substance was ordered but can’t release any details.

Potts’ father, Charles, said he spoke with his son Tuesday, the first time since the incident, for fewer than five minutes.

Charles Potts said the family can’t afford to bail him out of jail.

“All he told me was, ‘What they think it is, it’s not,’” said Charles Potts, who said he was shocked when he heard about the arrest.

“I mean, it’s pretty bad. I don’t know that I can put it into words,” he said.

“I guess you just have to experience to know.”

Charles Potts said his son graduated salutatorian from his high school, and he has never any problems with drugs before.

“Then he came to Chapel Hill, and he wasn’t doing as academically high as he had in high school,” Charles Potts said. “But he’s never had any issues like this.

“It wasn’t a concern. I had never had any suspicions.”

Josh Tremill, who works in the UNC registrar’s office, said although Christopher Potts hasn’t applied to graduate in May, he is technically classified as a senior because he likely came to the University with a lot of outside course credit.

Charles Potts said his son has requested a public defender, although he hadn’t been assigned one yet.

He said his son also didn’t know if his bail could be reduced today.

If it’s not, he and Joustra could be in jail during the Easter weekend.

Christopher Potts is listed on the police report as a parking attendant for Bank of America Center.

Joustra, who is not a UNC student and is described as unemployed on the police report, formerly worked as a barista at Jack Sprat Café on East Franklin Street, said Ben Jamin, who worked with him at the cafe.

Jamin said Joustra worked at Jack Sprat for about half a year, although he hasn’t been employed there for a few months.

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.