A former Binghamton University student was arrested the morning of Nov. 23 after breaking into the registrar’s office ‘ which holds student files, including transcripts ‘ and fighting two University police officers, police said.
Armen Enikolopov, 25, of Cold Spring Harbor, was charged with one felony count of second-degree burglary and two felony counts of second-degree assault, police said. Officers found no stolen property on Enikolopov when they arrested him at 6:10 a.m. outside Lecture Hall. He was unarmed.
‘I think they caught him before he had the opportunity to do whatever it was he was going to do, but that’s just speculation,’ said Investigator Dennis P. Bush of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. ‘I have no idea what he was attempting to steal. I have no idea why he was there at that time.’
Bush said he wasn’t aware of evidence of Enikolopov tampering with anything in the office before police arrived.
Enikolopov set off an alarm at 5:50 a.m. after he broke an exterior window to get into the locked office. Two male officers responded to the alarm and split up to search for him.
‘One officer spotted him and they ended up scuffling,’ Bush said. ‘The other officer responded to a call for assistance ‘ and it was on.’
Enikolopov started fighting police in the registrar’s office. The struggle between Enikolopov and the two officers made its way out of the building to outside Lecture Hall.
They all suffered minor injuries, including cuts, abrasions and bruises. A wall partition was damaged in the fight. Vestal Ambulance transported Enikolopov to Binghamton General Hospital and the officers to Wilson Memorial Regional Medical Center in Johnson City. All three were treated and released Friday.
Enikolopov was arraigned and plead not guilty Friday at Vestal Town Court. Judge Michael Sherwood sent him to Broome County Jail without bail. He was released Monday by an order of the Broome County Court, but according to police, he still faces his charges and is barred from campus. He may face a pending misdemeanor charge for resisting arrest and a pending felony charge for criminal mischief for breaking the window and damaging the wall, police said.
The incident is still under investigation by University police.
The Binghamton University Alumni Association has no record of Enikolopov’s graduation from BU, but police said he was a former student. Enikolopov appears in the 2003-2004 student directory, but is not listed in any other BU directories from 2001-2002 to 2007-2008.
Campus offices and dorms ‘ except for break housing ‘ were closed for Thanksgiving recess the day of Enikolopov’s arrest.
The registrar’s office, which is in the Student Wing, holds printed transcripts, transcripts from other schools, course scheduling materials and other materials. Money is not kept in the office.
Fifteen employees work in the office which ‘maintains the accuracy and integrity of all student records,’ said BU spokesman Ryan Yarosh. ‘They confer degrees when students complete degree requirements, process transcript requests, maintain accurate student information.’
The office also operates BUSI, the Web system where students register for courses, view course schedules and grades, make payments and access their BU e-mail accounts. The office also oversees DARS, which lets students check their progress toward their degrees.