Student Locked in DEA Holding Cell & Forgotten for 5 Days Receives $4.1 Million Settlement

This week, the DEA settled a case with a University of California student that was accidentally left in a holding cell for five days with no food or water, almost leading to the man's death.

Daniel Chong, 25, was one of nine people detained in May 2012 after the DEA raided a home belonging to a friend of Chong, which had been under surveillance for distributing ecstacy and hallucinogenic mushrooms.

According to a report from NewsMax, Chong was taken to a DEA facility in San Diego and was briefly questioned. After questioning, an agent told him he wasn't going to be charged and that he would be back shortly to release him.

RT.com reports that after three days in the 5-by-10 foot windowless cell, Chong began to hallucinate. Convinced he would be stuck there forever, he broke his glasses and began carving a message into his arm saying "sorry mom" with a broken shard of glass.

Reportedly, in a last ditch attempt to stay alive, Chong urinated in the cell and drank his own urine in an attempt to hydrate himself.

On the fifth day, Chong came up with an idea to slide a shoelace under the door of his cell to get the guards' attention. Lucky for Chong, his attempt was successful. A number of people eventually charged into his cell, finding him near death, and rushed him to a hospital.

At the hospital, Chong was diagnosed with dehydration, kidney failure, a perforated esophogus and cramps, though he survived the ordeal.

William Sherman, special agent in charge of the DEA's San Diego Division issued an apology at the time, saying "I extend my deepest apologies [to] the young man and want to express that this event is not indicative of the high standards that I hold my employees to."

Chong has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and is still undergoing therapy, though he has returned to UCSD to complete his degree.

While 20 percent of the $4.1 million settlement will go to covering attorney's fees, Chong will still receive $3.2 million. He has said that he plans to use this money to buy his parents a new house.