Three fraternity members charged with abusing NIU credit cards to buy alcohol and other items were bounced between NIU officials for four months while officials passed the disciplinary buck.

The NIU Judicial Office is investigating a case that suggests Omega Psi Phi members Rodney Purdy, James Bester and Curtis Adams made illegal purchases on state and university credit cards while on two fraternity-related trips in April.

Purdy and Adams rented NIU vehicles through the University Programming and Activities Office on two separate occasions in April to attend fraternity meetings in Grand Rapids, Mich. and Macomb, Ill. Along with the vehicles were two NIU gas credit cards stipulated for gas, oil and minor repairs.

Department of Transportation officials learned that while on the trips, the men traveled an additional 1,100 miles with three rented vehicles. An empty 750-ml Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin bottle was found in Purdy’s car and about $450—not including normal gas expenses—were charged to NIU credit cards.

The vehicles taken on the Macomb trip were returned about six hours late after being tracked down by transportation employees.

In May, NIU suspended the fraternity from renting university vehicles for one year.

The matter was not referred to the NIU Judicial Office until Aug. 7. A judicial ruling is expected this week. Judicial Office Director Larry Bolles said the men will not be suspended or expelled, but will be appropriately punished.

NIU officials were not aware of the questionable credit card charges until the transportation department received the receipts in the summer.

However, once the inconsistencies were found, officials stumbled as to who should initiate the disciplinary action.

On April 20, Purdy checked out a van to attend a fraternity meeting in Grand Rapids. Round trip mileage from DeKalb is about 500 miles. Purdy’s trip was 1,031 miles, records show.

The van had a full gas tank when Purdy received it, yet gas station receipts indicate that $42.53 was charged at a DeKalb gas station that day.

The receipts also show purchases were made in Normal, Chicago and Morris, Ill., while the van should have been on its way to Michigan.

Records indicate the men claimed they got lost.

The following weekend, Purdy and Adams rented two mid-size sedans from the transportation department to go to another fraternity meeting at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

Credit card receipts for this trip trace the men going back and forth between DeKalb and six other Central Illinois cities. Round trip from DeKalb to Macomb is about 400 miles. Adams’ car had 732 miles and Purdy’s car had 637 miles.

During the trip to Macomb, one or both vehicles were in Urbana on April 27; DeKalb and San Jose, Ill. on April 28; Chicago, Champaign and Galesburg, Ill. on April 29, and Bloomington and DeKalb on April 30, records show.

The men again claimed they were lost and were bringing Student Association Academic Affairs Adviser Willie Fowler to the University of Illinois for SA business. However, SA records do not show Fowler attended to any SA business that weekend.

Purdy’s signature is on many of the questionable gas station receipts, including two showing unusually large purchases.

One receipt from San Jose dated April 28 was for $45.45. This includes $38.79 worth of liquor and $6.66 in food, plus tax. A receipt from a DeKalb station on the same day shows that $55.38 was spent on 55.3 gallons of gas. The gas tank capacity in each sedan is only 13.3 gallons.

Besides the fact the NIU gas credit cards were used for purchases other than gas, it is illegal to buy alcohol on a state-provided NIU card.

Charges undisputably attributed to liquor on a state card totaled $38.79.

Between May and July, Transportation Manager William Finucane sent two letters to UP&A Director Michelle Emmett detailing the inconsistencies.

In those letters, Finucane said he would not pursue the matter with the judicial office, but would support UP&A-defined disciplinary actions.

He referred the matter to Emmett, who works for the Student Affairs Office, because the vehicles were rented through UP&A. But Donald Buckner, associate vice president for Student Affairs, said the transportation department was responsible for notifying the judicial office.

In July, Patricia Hewitt, associate vice president for Business and Operations, told Finucane to take the case to the judicial office. She is Finucane’s boss and learned of the incident from his letters to Emmett.

Sources would not confirm nor deny acting Ombudsman Stacey Dolby tried to pursuade officials from prosecuting the case.

While officials were writing letters to each other, the fraternity began their vehicle suspension. Records show Emmett cited the excess mileage, the empty gin bottle and returning the vehicles late as reasons for the suspension.

The fraternity also was charged for the additinal mileage and Purdy, Bester and Adams were billed for their individual charges. The Northern Star was unable to confirm whether the bills were paid.

Despite numerous attempts, Emmett was unavailable for comment. Purdy, Bester and Adams could not be reached for comment.