Correction (Dec. 22, 2011: 6:06 p.m.): Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Mary Pettitt's name spelling and title have been corrected in this version. | Our corrections policy

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BLACKSBURG — Three Blacksburg men, including Virginia Tech kicker Cody Journell, have been arrested and charged with breaking and entering after an alleged home invasion late Wednesday night at the home of a Virginia Tech basketball player.

Journell, 20, Matthew D. Dunton, 23, and Matthew I. Brady, 21, were charged with a Class 2 felony due to the alleged use of a dangerous weapon. A prosecutor said in court this afternoon a gun was involved.

Police responded to a residence on Lee Street near downtown in reference to a physical altercation around 10 p.m. Wednesday. According to warrants filed in Montgomery County General District court, the incident revolved around some sort of drug transaction.

Journell, Dunton and Brady are accused of entering the house of Dorenzo Hudson and Sean Allen with a weapon, with the intent to commit larceny, assault and battery, or another felony, according to warrants. Hudson is a starter on the Virginia Tech men's basketball team.

The three defendants appeared in court this afternoon before Judge Randall Duncan.

According to court testimony from Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Mary Pettitt, the three showed up at Hudson and Allen's residence last night because they said Allen stole marijuana from Dunton.

Dunton knocked on the door holding a pizza box while Journell and Brady hid in the bushes, Pettit said. When Hudson answered, Dunton drew a gun while the other two rushed inside the house, she said.

After not finding Allen, they ran outside and left in a car driven by an unnamed person, who was not charged, she said.

Prosecution and defense acknowledged that Hudson and Allen later went looking for the three and a physical altercation took place, but no charges are filed in that incident.

Evidence showed that the gun used appeared to be an Airsoft handgun, so the deadly weapon charge may be reduced. They have not yet officially found this to be true.

The judge expressed concern either way on the use of a gun, real or not, to enter someone's home and noted that it could have turned deadly either way.

While attorneys for Journell and Brady argued for leniency since there was no evidence they had knowledge of a gun, Duncan opted to "treat them all the same" and denied bond to all three.

All three men are currently being held at the Montgomery County Jail while the investigation continues.

"There is genuinely an ongoing investigation. There are people out right now working on it," said Lt. Steve Taylor of the Blacksburg Police Department. "We have not ruled out additional charges on additional individuals."

Dunton and Brady are listed as roommates in an apartment on the 600 block of Lee Street. School spokesman Larry Hincker said registrar records show that Brady is enrolled at the university and that Dunton is not.

Dunton is the son of Randy Dunton, the former Liberty University men's basketball coach, who attended this afternoon's court hearing. Matt Dunton also played basketball at Brookville High School in Lynchburg.

Journell is a kicker for the Virginia Tech football team who earned All-ACC honorable mention this fall. Virginia Tech athletics director Jim Weaver said in an email that Journell is “suspended indefinitely” from the football team in conjunction with university policy.

That policy states that "any student-athlete arrested and charged with a felony ... shall be suspended automatically, by the Director of Athletics, from practice and playing privileges until the charges are dropped, dismissed or otherwise resolved."

Bryan Johnston, with the Virginia Tech athletic department, said the university is working on the situation and more information would be forthcoming.

Journell, a redshirt sophomore, made 14 of 17 field goals in his first season as Tech's full-time place-kicker, making 10 straight to finish the year.

From Ripplemead, the former Giles High School kicker was the first true place-kicker to be signed to a scholarship by Virginia Tech since Shayne Graham in 1996.

When Journell missed the Duke game Oct. 29 with a quad strain, the Hokies used two seniors to replace him, letting Tyler Weiss handle short kicks and Justin Myer long ones.

Weiss, who started at Murray State as a freshman in 2007 and went 7-for-10, missed his only attempt against the Blue Devils from 29 yards.

Myer, who also handles kickoffs, is 0-for-2 on field goal attempts this season, missing from 57 against North Carolina and 53 yards against Virginia.

Men's basketball player Hudson, a fifth-year senior, made the All-ACC third team two seasons ago, when he averaged 15.2 points. He sat out most of last season as a medical redshirt.

Hudson ranks second on the Hokies basketball team in scoring this season with an average of 11.6 points per game. He led the team in scoring the past two games. The Hokies have a game tonight.

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