Post by tex on Dec 9, 2011 21:23:39 GMT -5
Radford fraternity member gets two months in jail for role in hazing death
By Lerone Graham | The Roanoke Times
A man charged for his role in a Radford University fraternity hazing death pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in court earlier this afternoon.
Dustin Lee Moore, 21, was charged with misdemeanor counts of hazing and purchasing alcohol for someone under the age of 21. Circuit Court Judge Joey Showalter upheld an agreement which sentenced Moore to a total of two years in the New River Regional Jail, one year for each charge, with all but two months suspended. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in fines.
Moore was one of seven Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity members that were indicted in an incident that resulted in the death of Samuel Harris Mason, 20, of Chesterfield County. Mason's blood alcohol content before he died was .48, six times the legal limit, according to his autopsy report. He was found dead at his Fairfax Street home the morning of Oct. 15, 2010.
Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Rehak said Moore reportedly supplied the alcohol as a TKE ritual gift, and was underage himself at the time of the incident.
Moore was the first of the seven indicted to appear in court for his involvement. The others, Ryan N. Lawson, 22, Chadwick Evancho, 23, Christopher Michael Pizzi, 22, William Taylor Burke, 21, Christopher Scott Cothren, 22, and Louis Hoskins Trible, 22, all have court appearances scheduled for next week. Rehak said he will issue comment once all defendants have appeared in court. Case facts and other information will also be available at that time, Rehak said.
The family of Mason released a statement today, in which they said their loss was worsened when they learned fraternity hazing was involved, thus making his death preventable.
"We will support all efforts to expose the dangers of hazing and protect other families from the unbearable pain and suffering that we have experienced," the family wrote in the statement.
Moore's jail sentence was to begin today at 4 p.m.
www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/302193
By Lerone Graham | The Roanoke Times
A man charged for his role in a Radford University fraternity hazing death pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in court earlier this afternoon.
Dustin Lee Moore, 21, was charged with misdemeanor counts of hazing and purchasing alcohol for someone under the age of 21. Circuit Court Judge Joey Showalter upheld an agreement which sentenced Moore to a total of two years in the New River Regional Jail, one year for each charge, with all but two months suspended. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in fines.
Moore was one of seven Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity members that were indicted in an incident that resulted in the death of Samuel Harris Mason, 20, of Chesterfield County. Mason's blood alcohol content before he died was .48, six times the legal limit, according to his autopsy report. He was found dead at his Fairfax Street home the morning of Oct. 15, 2010.
Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Rehak said Moore reportedly supplied the alcohol as a TKE ritual gift, and was underage himself at the time of the incident.
Moore was the first of the seven indicted to appear in court for his involvement. The others, Ryan N. Lawson, 22, Chadwick Evancho, 23, Christopher Michael Pizzi, 22, William Taylor Burke, 21, Christopher Scott Cothren, 22, and Louis Hoskins Trible, 22, all have court appearances scheduled for next week. Rehak said he will issue comment once all defendants have appeared in court. Case facts and other information will also be available at that time, Rehak said.
The family of Mason released a statement today, in which they said their loss was worsened when they learned fraternity hazing was involved, thus making his death preventable.
"We will support all efforts to expose the dangers of hazing and protect other families from the unbearable pain and suffering that we have experienced," the family wrote in the statement.
Moore's jail sentence was to begin today at 4 p.m.
www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/302193
