URBANA — A priest at St. John's Catholic Newman Center, accused of selling cocaine at the University of Illinois, pleaded innocent Thursday.

The Rev. Christopher Layden pleaded innocent to two counts of delivery of less than 1 gram of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church and a separate count of possession with intent to deliver 1 to 15 grams of cocaine near a church.

Layden’s defense attorney, Mark Lipton, said Layden would waive a preliminary hearing and entered the pleas for his client.
Judge Richard Klaus set a pretrial hearing for Oct. 21. He set bond at $50,000.

Layden posted bond of $5,000 and was released.

The judge advised Layden that the delivery charges carry a mandatory prison sentence of four to 15 years and the Class X possession count carries a sentence of six to 30 years in prison

UI interim Police Chief Jeff Christensen said police arrested Layden, 33, originally from Hoopeston, at the Newman Center, 604 E. Armory Ave., C, about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"We've been conducting an investigation that resulted in information that Father Christopher Layden was in possession of and distributing cocaine from his office in the Newman Center and his personal residence at the rectory," Christensen said Thursday morning.

Police obtained search warrants for both places and collected numerous items of evidence Wednesday night, Christensen said, including about 3 grams of powdered cocaine.

Christensen said police have been investigating Layden for about two weeks and are continuing to work on the case.

"We don't have information right now that any of his customers are current students," said Christensen, adding that Layden was the only person being investigated.

A call to the Newman Center on Thursday morning was referred to the main office for the Diocese of Peoria but no one was available.

State's Attorney Julia Rietz said Layden was charged Thursday with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church, the latter element making it a more serious crime.

According to St. John's Web site, Layden is a native of Hoopeston who earned his degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained a diocesan priest in 2001.

After his ordination, he returned to Rome to earn additional theological degrees. He has served in a few parishes as an assistant pastor and taught religion courses at Central Catholic High School in Bloomington and Alleman Catholic High School in Rock Island.

News-Gazette staff writer Steve Bauer contributed to this report.