SAN DIEGO — A lawyer for a Punahou School graduate who was arrested in a massive federal drug sweep of college campuses here said her client should not be lumped in with defendants facing more serious trafficking charges.

"It seems a little heavy handed to go into a college campus with DEA agents to ferret out students who are selling small amounts of marijuana," attorney Gretchen Von Helms said.

Her client, 19-year-old Joshua Matsuda, who graduated from Punahou last year, faces up to three years and eight months in jail if convicted on charges of possessing marijuana for sale.

His roommate, Jarrod Skippon, faces similar charges after agents allegedly found marijuana and 30 vials of hash oil at their apartment. Skippon's lawyer, Marc Carlos, said a female undercover agent asked his client to sell her pot after they met at a party.

"We're talking about a 19-year-old," Carlos said. "So they're caught in the sting, and they're being asked to put agents in touch with sellers."

The students, both freshmen at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., have each been released on $10,000 bail.

Federal officials said 128 people, including at least 75 San Diego State University students, were arrested during the five-month investigation. Some students detained for minor drug offenses or other infractions turned informants for federal agents.

Kenneth Ciaccio, an honors student at San Diego State, is the suspected leader of a cocaine trafficking ring at the 34,000-student campus. He is accused of selling cocaine twice to government agents.

Ciaccio and six other students pleaded not guilty yesterday to selling an array of drugs including marijuana, ecstasy, hallucinogenic mushrooms and cocaine.

Ciaccio's mother wept as he was led out of the courtroom in shackles.

Ciaccio, 19, was among 13 fraternity members arrested in early-morning raids Tuesday at fraternity houses and off-campus housing. University officials said 33 students have been suspended as a result of the busts.