UC Santa Cruz student indicted, accused of developing 'Banana Plug' app to sell cocaine, meth

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KTLA/AP) -- A Northern California college freshman is facing felony charges for allegedly creating an iPhone app he dubbed the Banana Plug to sell illicit drugs.

Collin Howard on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to federal drug charges in San Jose after a grand jury indicted him on Feb. 14. Howard, 18, had earlier pleaded not guilty to similar drug charges in Santa Cruz County where he was arrested in his dorm room at the University of California, Santa Cruz on Nov. 28.

The investigation began in November when a university campus police officer noticed one of many posters hung on campus advertising an app called "Banana Plug," prosecutors said. The school's mascot is the banana slug, and "plug" is slang for a drug dealer.

Banana Plug could be downloaded from Apple's online store and was advertised as a free game with the motto “We Have What You Want,” but users could place drug orders through the app, investigators said. The campus police and Department of Homeland Security agents said they launched an undercover sting operation that included four drug buys using the app.