Young Main Line drug dealer gets 9-23 months

Judge Steven T. O'Neill is used to hearing tales of addiction, depression, and cries for help in his Montgomery County drug court. But Monday's scene, with about 50 well-to-do Main Line supporters coming out to speak on behalf of one young defendant, was unusual.

Timothy C. Brooks, 19, of Villanova, pleaded guilty in October to five charges as the No. 2 man in a drug ring that sought to corner the market on marijuana sales at Main Line prep schools.

The operation was short-lived and its scope was modest in comparison to its extraordinarily high media profile. O'Neill called that a testament to a false belief that the wealthy and privileged are immune to addiction and crime.

The testimony from Brooks' family and friends showed that even among those who know better, it is easy to miss the signs.

At his sentencing in Norristown on Monday, Brooks sat quietly, maintaining his composure as those who know him best wiped away tears on the stand.

His therapist. His brother. His boss. His Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. His father and mother. The courtroom was so full that some sat on the floor.

"Timmy was the closest person to me in the world," said his younger brother, Max. "When he came back from college, he wasn't the same."

Timothy Brooks was mourning the loss of a close friend and recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his lacrosse career. He dropped out of the University of Richmond after only a couple of months.

At the time, Clinton Brooks said, he recognized signs of depression in his son - the same ones from which he had suffered at that age.

"I know what it's like to want to die," he told the court. "When I was 19, I tried to kill myself in an alcoholic depression."

Although his son was going out drinking, smoking marijuana, and taking the hallucinogenic drug MDMA, Clinton Brooks said, he never suspected addiction until a detective, after grilling Timothy Brooks for hours, pulled the father aside and put it in terms he could not deny.

Four months earlier, Timothy Brooks had made contact with a fellow Haverford School alumnus, 25-year-old Neil K. Scott, who supplied and advised Brooks on his burgeoning marijuana business.

In one text message, Brooks called it the "Main Line Takeover Project," a name that would stick after the District Attorney's Office busted the drug ring.

Searching the Brooks home in March, detectives found a pound of marijuana and $800. Prosecutors said Scott and Brooks had been major suppliers of marijuana to high school students at their alma mater, as well as Radnor, Lower Merion, Harriton, and Conestoga High Schools, and Lafayette and Haverford Colleges.

"He was in it to make money," Assistant District Attorney Tonya W. Lupinacci said. "This was his brainchild."

"I know what people will say. I'm an entitled kid who took life for granted," Timothy Brooks told the judge. "On some level, I just assumed I would die young, too. . . . So I might as well go big."

Since his arrest was announced in April, several supporters testified, Brooks has been devoted to Alcoholics Anonymous and is helping others find sobriety.

O'Neill applauded Brooks' recovery and said, "Whatever my sentence is, he has a bright future ahead of him."

But the judge said, "I have to sentence the version of you that was actively selling weed to high school kids along the Main Line. We cannot send the message that it is OK."

Following state guidelines, O'Neill sentenced Brooks to nine to 23 months, and five years' probation. But unlike Scott, who received five to 15 years in state prison, Brooks will serve his time in the county jail and may be eligible for work release after three months.

As he was placed in handcuffs, Brooks turned to his mother, who was sobbing on his father's shoulder.

"It's OK, Mom," he said. "Thank you, everybody."

"Good luck, Timmy," came a voice from the audience.

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