"Dell Dude" Arrested

Dude, yer gettin’ a dime bag! New York University drama student Benjamin Curtis was arrested Sunday night after being spotted by officers buying a small bag of marijuana from Omar Mendez. Mendez, 19, is facing drug sale and possession charges. Curtis was arraigned Monday on a misdemeanor drug possession charge – which means the suspect is only carrying a "use amount" – only enough to roll several marijuana cigarettes.

Criminal Court Judge Ellen Coin told Curtis at his arraignment that his case will be dismissed and his record expunged if he avoids arrest during the next year. When asked if he understood, Curtis answered, "Yes, ma’am." His lawyer, James Moschella, said, "We are confident that at the appropriate time, the charges will be dismissed." Venancia Figueroa, a spokesman for Dell, said, "We are following the situation and really trying to understand what happened here." Dell has not yet made a decision for future promotion for the company by Curtis.

Curtis beat out more than 100 others for the chance to portray slacker "Steven" in the Dell commercials. "Steven" is a goofy kid who talks friends and family members into buying Dell computers. The catchphrase "Dude, you’re getting a Dell" became very popular as did "Steven." The character developed a strong cult following, was parodied on Saturday Night Live, and a Ben Curtis trivia web site was spawned. Will Curtis’ arrest affect his future with Dell? No doubt there are many people out there who would object to Curtis continuing the Dell ads. Most big companies run from scandal faster than you can blink an eye. Is a little marijuana enough to turn Curtis’ Dell career to pot?