Neighbors react to Johnson-Koulianos arrest

Iowa wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos waived a preliminary hearing at his initial court appearance at Johnson County District Court this morning on a variety of drug charges after investigators found cocaine, marijuana and other prescription drugs in his Iowa City home.

Johnson-Koulianos posted $8,000 bail and was released from Johnson County Jail custody Tuesday night.

He declined comment as he left the Johnson County Courthouse in Iowa City this morning  following the brief hearing. He left in a car driven by his attorney, John Beasley.

Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa's career leader in receptions and receiving yardage, was a first-team all-Big Ten pick this season. He caught 46 passes for 745 yards and 10 TDs this season.

Johnson-Koulianos, 23, and roommate Brady Cooper Johnson, 21, both of 1128 E. Washington St., were taken into custody around 1:50 p.m. Tuesday after officers executed a search warrant as part of a drug investigation, criminal complaints state.

Johnson-Koulianos, a Campbell, Ohio, native, faces seven charges: four counts of possession of controlled substances, two counts of unlawful possession of prescription drugs and one count of keeping a drug house. These are all misdemeanors.

Investigators found more than $3,000 in cash, marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs in the house during the search, police said. The circumstances which prompted the search were not known Tuesday night.

Officers located a small amount of marijuana in Johnson-Koulianos' bedroom. Upon arrest, Johnson-Koulianos told police he smokes marijuana and that he'd smoked it within the past 24 hours.

The search warrant allowing police to search the home of Derrell Johnson-Koulianos has been sealed for at least 90 days by the Sixth Judicial District Court of Johnson County.

The document says the investigation is still ongoing and public release of information contained in the warrant may hinder or interfere with the investigation.

Neighbors react to Johnson-Koulianos arrest

Landlord Cindy Parsons said Johnson-Koulianos has been living in the house since June 2008. She said she lives across the street and never saw any suspicious activity.

“We see them almost on a daily basis and there was no indication of a problem. We wouldn't have tolerated that kind of activity if we knew it was going on," said Parsons.

"A lot of the people he has over on a Saturday night after a home game are pretty loud, but other than that he's pretty quiet," said neighbor Stephen Smith.

Johnson-Koulianos tests positive for drugs

A urine test administered by arresting officers showed a preliminary positive for marijuana and cocaine, criminal complaints state. Johnson-Koulianos admitted to using cocaine after investigators found residue of the drug in his bedroom, complaints state.

Johnson-Koulianos told arresting officers that various prescription pain killers and muscle relaxers police found in his bedroom were also his, and that “he gets them from friends” and takes them without having a prescription.

The array of pain and anxiety medications included Dilaudid, Diazepam, Hydroxyzine Pamoate and Zolpidem Tartrate, criminal complaints state. Dilaudid is a used to relieve moderate to severe pain, while Diazepam is used to treat anxiety.

Brady Johnson was found with Xanax and Promethazine Hydrochloride, criminal complaints state.

Xanax and Promethazine Hydrochloride are both used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.

Officers also reported finding “electronic media” showing Johnson-Koulianos in possession of cocaine and marijuana, complaints state.

Brady Johnson faces charges of possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance – second offense, unlawful possession of a prescription drug and keeping a drug house.

Johnson is accused of selling “large amounts” of marijuana, investigators wrote in a criminal complaint. These are misdemeanors except for the possession with intent to deliver, which is a Class D felony with a maximum sentence of five years.

Coach Ferentz disappointed, suspends Johnson-Koulianos

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz issued the following statement Tuesday night:

“I am highly disappointed to learn of the charges. Derrell has been suspended from all team activities.”

After media day in August, Ferentz banned Johnson-Koulianos from speaking to the media for undisclosed reasons. Ferentz did relent after Johnson-Koulianos set the yardage record at Michigan, but Johnson-Koulianos declined.

Johnson-Koulianos didn't start in Iowa's finale against Minnesota. Ferentz said that was because senior wide receiver Colin Sandeman had a better week of practice.

Johnson-Koulianos' personal Facebook and Facebook fan pages were deleted Tuesday evening. He had around 5,000 followers.

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