A homeless man with a criminal history was arrested on campus last week after making inappropriate conversation with women and is now in the Lucas County prison system.

The police report said George Levy, 29, was suspected to be homeless and staying in various campus buildings, although Residence Services had no information about Levy staying on campus.

According to complaints filed by residents on campus, Levy tried to get several women’s phone numbers.

Police found a residence hall key card and a visitor’s swipe card on Levy, said Lt. Carl Sweigert, who is in charge of investigations at the Kent State Police Department. The key had been lost by a female student a couple hours before Levy’s arrest. Residence Services checked its history and determined Levy had not used it illegally, Sweigert said.

Levy picked up the visitor’s swipe card at a vending machine in the University Library, Sweigert said. It could be used anywhere FlashCards are accepted. Levy did not have to give his identification to get the card.

Resident assistants in Tri-Towers and Eastway received complaints from residents that Levy was making them feel uncomfortable and did not look like he belonged on campus, said Betsy Joseph, director of Residence Services.

A residence hall director sent out an e-mail to all Residence Services staff about students’ concerns with Levy’s description on Feb. 14, Joseph said. The e-mail told staff to notify police if the 6-foot-1 black male was seen in their halls.

Levy had a disheveled appearance and carried his belongings in two duffel bags, said Miguel Witt, a Kent State Police officer.

Levy was arrested Feb. 15 in a Clark Hall study lounge, Witt said.

After a background check, Witt discovered Levy had two outstanding warrants for his arrest for burglary and a traffic violation in Lucas County.

Levy was taken to the Portage County Sheriff’s Office immediately after his arrest and transferred over to Lucas County on Feb. 17, Witt said.

Because of Levy’s criminal record, the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs issued him a persona non grata after his arrest, Sweigert said. Persona non grata is a Latin phrase meaning someone is not welcome in a specific area. If Levy is found on campus again he will be arrested for criminal trespassing, Sweigert said.

“The good thing about this situation is that students reported seeing someone that clearly didn’t belong here,” Joseph said. “We probably wouldn’t have known about him until a crime occurred without students coming forward.”

Due to Residence Services’ policy, no residence hall staff was permitted to comment.

Joseph, who has been at the university since June, said this is the first time she has been aware of a situation like this.

Contact safety reporter Sean Joseph at [email protected].