Georgetown grad and law student sentenced to four years in prison for selling meth

Maybe now when you Google “Georgetown Meth,” news of 2010’s infamous meth-but-actually-DMT lab won’t be the first result.

Late last week, the Washington Post reported that Marc Gersen (SFS ’04), a Georgetown graduate and a law student at the time of his arrest one year ago, has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the sale of methamphetamine.

As an undergraduate, Gersen was a member of (what the Post labels the “prestigious”) Philodemic Society and Delta Phi Epsilon Foreign Service Fraternity. As a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley, Gersen had trouble with his dissertation, which ultimately led to a crisis. He dropped out of Berkeley and enrolled in Georgetown Law, where he excelled despite having to sink time into running his drug operation.

Gersen’s friends, family, and colleagues all told the court of his high intellect and good moral character. Even Gersen’s professor wrote a letter testifying to his good will: “His law school performance—remarkable under any circumstances—is truly incredible given the other things going on in his life,” wrote Gersen’s law professor, Louis Michael Seidman, according to the Post. “The short of it is that Marc is an extraordinary young man who has made some extraordinary mistakes.”

At the same time, Gersen reportedly bragged about evading detection for so long, according to prosecutors. He also struggled with an addiction to the drug himself.

So while most reports of meth at Georgetown are either premature or completely inaccurate, even Georgetown students lose their way and make grossly irresponsible decisions.

But, still, why does Georgetown keep getting associated with meth?

Photo courtesy Ye Domesday Book, Vol. 90