Niall Sweeney, 21, of Erie, Pennsylvania, today (Sept. 16) pleaded guilty to two charges in connection with the hazing death of Stone Foltz, a Bowling Green State University sophomore, in March.
Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson in a press release said the Sweeney pled guilty to an amended count of tampering with evidence, a third degree felony, and one count of hazing, a fourth degree misdemeanor.
The plea deal, Dobson said, is contingent on Sweeney’s “continuing cooperation in the prosecution of the case.”
Sweeney, one of eight members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity charged in the case, was originally charged with third degree felony involuntary manslaughter, failure to comply with underage alcohol laws, and obstructing official business as well as hazing. Those other charges have been dropped.
The defense and prosecution agreed if Sweeney cooperates he would be sentenced to probation. The judge, however, does have the option to sentenced him to six months in jail.
A trial date for the remaining defendants has been set for Jan. 10-28 in Wood County Common Pleas Court. Sweeney will sentenced after those trials are completed.
Foltz, who was pledging to the fraternity, was allegedly coerced into drinking a full bottle of whiskey during a Big/Little event on March 4, and then dropped off at his off-campus residence where he was found unconscious by his roommates.
He was first transported to Wood County Hospital and then transferred to Toledo Hospital. He died on March 7 after being on life support to facilitate the donation of his organs.
Dobson said of this first plea among the defendants: “This is another step as we move forward toward bringing justice to this event and for Stone’s death. What will happen with the co-defendants, I can’t say at this time. We continue to prepare for that January trial date.”
The Rex Elliott and Sean Alto, attorneys for the Foltz family issued the following statement: “Mr. Sweeney’s guilty plea sends a strong message that any act of hazing will not be tolerated in this great State. While his plea can’t bring Stone Foltz back, his family prays that days like this and those to come will go a long way toward ending the decades-long culture of hazing on all college campuses.”
