Murray Charged With Cocaine Sales, Possession

Gerald Murray, the center suspended from the San Diego State basketball team, was charged Monday in connection with four alleged cocaine-related incidents over the past four months.

Murray, who was suspended indefinitely from the team after his arrest Nov. 24, was charged with three counts each of selling cocaine and possessing cocaine for sale, said Douglas C. Gregg, San Diego County assistant district attorney.

Murray, who was released Thursday on $10,000 bail, is to be arraigned Thursday in San Diego Municipal Court, Gregg said.

San Diego Police said Murray, 22, was arrested after he sold an unspecified amount of cocaine to an undercover police officer. It was Murray’s third arrest on suspicion of cocaine charges since Aug. 1 and the second time Murray had sold cocaine to an undercover officer, police said.

In the latest arrest, Murray, a 6-foot 8-inch senior from Detroit, was charged with selling cocaine and possessing the drug for sale on Nov. 24. He also was charged with the sale of cocaine on Nov. 21.

The investigation that led to his arrest Nov. 24 began after Murray was arrested Sept. 1 in a raid of his girlfriend’s apartment in East San Diego. Police said they confiscated 3.2 ounces of rock cocaine valued at nearly $4,000, a hand gun, $5,600 in cash and a police scanner in the search.

Gregg said the district attorney’s office declined to charge Murray immediately after that arrest pending further investigation. But a charge of possession of cocaine for sale was brought against Murray and his girlfriend, Natosha Plousha, Monday in connection with the Sept. 1 arrest, Gregg said. Plousha, 22, also was charged with operating a place for the sale of drugs, Gregg said.

Murray was first arrested Aug. 1 but was released when police said what they suspected to be rock cocaine was actually a legal substance they said is used with the sale of cocaine.

Gregg said no charges have been brought in connection with the Aug. 1 arrest but that “other information” had been acquired by the district attorney’s office concerning Murray’s actions before the arrest. That information has led to charges of the sale of cocaine and the possession of cocaine for sale on Aug. 1, Gregg said.

Murray’s lawyer, Ronald M. Frant of San Diego, said he had spoken with Gregg but had not seen a copy of the charges and could not comment on them specifically.

Also charged in the investigation were Samuel J. Richardson, 26, and Tommy K. Russell, 25, both of San Diego, Gregg said.

Murray also has a hearing scheduled Wednesday in San Diego Municipal Court in connection with a Jan. 2 arrest for solicitation of a lewd act in public.