2 Snow football players arrested in narcotics bust

Two of eight people arrested in a narcotics sweep Tuesday in Ephraim were members of the Snow College football team, a college official said Wednesday.

Three other people who were arrested were Snow students, but not associated with the team. The others arrested were young adults who live in Sanpete County and do not attend Snow, according to Robert Wright, director of public safety at the college.

One of the football players was Brian Taylor Evans, known locally as Taylor Salanoa, of Manti, who was a former star quarterback at Manti High. Evans redshirted because of an injury in 2005 but was working to be the backup quarterback next fall. Also arrested was Aric John Hutchinson of Ogden, who played backup safety last year and was in line to be a starting safety in the fall.

Both Evans and Hutchinson were arrested on two misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

While Snow College has a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal drugs, "if it's a first offense, and a misdemeanor, depending on the student and how cooperative they are, we give them another chance," public relations director Rick Pike said.

Students are placed on probation, required to complete a drug-awareness course taught at the college's Wellness Center and asked to write a follow-up letter to the dean of students. If students meet those requirements, they are usually reinstated, Pike said. He said he expected that to happen in the cases of Evans and Hutchinson.

Police had warrants for the arrest of 10 more people but had not yet served them Wednesday, Wright said. None of the individuals being sought are current Snow students, he added.

The arrests resulted from an undercover investigation by the Central Utah Narcotics Task Force and the Snow Public Safety Department.

Wright said the investigation had been triggered in part by tips from Snow students who were concerned about drug activity among fellow students.

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