A tip about drug distribution aimed at University of Oklahoma students led Cleveland County deputies to arrest 32-year-old Angetello Kadeem Criton over the weekend, and the county's sheriff says the case involves what he calls blatant predatory conduct. Officials say Criton was trafficking 42 grams of cocaine and allegedly enticing OU students to buy and use it.
Cleveland County Sheriff Darrell Weaver detailed the arrest in comments reported by KOKH, which first reported that the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office is investigating the trafficking case. Cleveland County prosecutors have charged Criton with trafficking cocaine, possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, and driving under suspension. He is being held at the Cleveland County Detention Center on a $60,500 bond, per the same account.
Sheriff Says Young People, College Students Are Vulnerable
Weaver said young people from rural Oklahoma, larger Oklahoma towns, and even out of state can be vulnerable to cocaine sellers operating near campus. He also said college students may be exploited and become addicted to cocaine, a warning that echoes the sheriff's own background — Weaver is a former director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics who took office in July 2026 after former Sheriff Chris Amason resigned following a no-contest plea to felony embezzlement charges, as Hoodline previously reported.
Weaver said the investigation covers all of Cleveland County, not just the immediate Norman campus area. The sheriff's office runs a Narcotics Division that includes an investigator assigned to the FBI's Criminal Enterprise Task Force, giving it federal reach when dismantling larger trafficking operations, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.
University Responds, Points to Sheriff's Office
The University of Oklahoma said campus community safety and security are a top priority and confirmed it is aware of the arrest and investigation. The university encouraged community members to report suspicious persons or activities to the OU Police Department or local law enforcement, and it referred further questions about the arrest to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.
Under Oklahoma's Trafficking in Illegal Drugs Act, possessing 28 grams or more of cocaine automatically triggers a trafficking charge — a B3 felony carrying a prison term of four years to life and fines between $25,000 and $100,000, according to Justia Law. Because the charge hinges strictly on weight, prosecutors are not required to prove intent to sell or distribute once that 28-gram threshold is met, per the Kania Law Firm.
Statutory Penalties Loom Large if Convicted
Trafficking convictions in Oklahoma fall under the state's 85% Rule, meaning a convicted person must serve at least 85 percent of the court-imposed sentence before becoming eligible for parole, according to the Hunsucker Legal Group. Separately, Oklahoma Statutes Title 63 allows sentencing enhancements — potentially doubling prison terms and fines — for drug distribution occurring within 1,000 to 2,000 feet of a school or university campus, according to FindLaw.
The case arrives amid broader national concern about drug rings targeting college students. In August, Pennsylvania authorities dismantled a cocaine trafficking operation at Penn State University, filing felony charges against 14 people, including fraternity pledges accused of packaging and distributing cocaine on campus, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
The Cleveland County case also lands amid heightened local narcotics enforcement. Earlier in August, Cleveland County deputies and Norman Police executed five search warrants that led to six arrests and the seizure of distribution-quantities of narcotics, stolen vehicles, and firearms, as Hoodline reported at the time. National overdose data cited by officials show drug deaths topped 100,000 over a recent 12-month period, with more than 64,000 linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl — a substance street dealers frequently use to cut cocaine.
The charges against Criton remain allegations at this stage, and no trial date has been reported. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office has not indicated whether additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
