Palm Beach Atlantic University is a no-nonsense place. The private, Christian school in West Palm Beach strictly prohibits drinking and premarital sex on campus. But what happens when a God-fearing student is accused of a different kind of sin -- selling drugs?
Magdala Chery, 31, a student in the Gregory School of Pharmacy, was arrested April 28 for allegedly selling 240 oxycodone pills to an undercover Broward Sheriff's Office detective. According to the probable-cause affidavit, Chery sold the stash for $2,400.
She was promptly charged with drug trafficking, booked into the Broward County Jail, then released on a $250,000 bond. Later, the Broward State Attorney's Office added a charge of conspiracy
to commit robbery with a deadly weapon. According to the prosecutor's office, Chery's codefendant
had a gun, and Chery told the police the pair had planned to steal the money the undercover
cop brought for the purchase. Chery has pleaded not guilty to both
charges.
Chery didn't respond to an email request for comment today. State records indicate she was a licensed pharmacist intern in Miami in 2008. She's also president-elect of Palm Beach Atlantic's chapter of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, according to the academy's website.
But is she still enrolled in school? The Juice is awaiting a comment from the public-relations office at the university and will update soon.
