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OT 'Dell Dude' Arrested for Marijuana in NY


— NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actor Benjamin Curtis, the Dell Computer Corp. pitchman "Steven" who says on television, "Dude, yer gettin' a Dell," was arrested for possessing marijuana in New York, officials said on Monday.

Curtis, 22, was charged with criminal possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of up to three months if he is convicted, a spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney's office said.

Curtis, who lives in New York and was arrested on Sunday night, was scheduled to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court later on Monday.

A spokesman for the Round Rock, Texas-based Dell said he was not familiar with the details and declined to speculate on future plans for the advertising campaign.

"We're following the situation closely and working with our ad agency to understand what's transpired here," spokesman Venancio Figueroa said. The ad agency is DDB of Chicago.

Dell, the No. 2 personal computer company, makes most of its money selling to businesses and schools. It began the TV and print commercials featuring the wise-cracking "Steven" three years ago.