Another plea in hazing death of BGSU student

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BOWLING GREEN — Another plea has been entered in the hazing death of a Bowling Green State University student.

Two men indicted in the March hazing death of sophomore Stone Foltz were in Wood County Common Pleas Court on Thursday.

Aaron Lehane changed his plea and Jacob Krinn appeared on a bond hearing.

Lehane, 21, Bowling Green, pleaded guilty to the amended charge of obstructing justice, a first-degree misdemeanor. He will be sentenced in February.

The charge against Lehane had previously been for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

Lehane also pleaded guilty to obstructing official business, a second-degree misdemeanor; eight counts of hazing, all fourth-degree misdemeanors; and one count failure to comply with underage alcohol laws, a first-degree misdemeanor.

The state would dismiss the six additional counts of failure to comply at sentencing, said Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson.

The proceedings were held in the courtroom of Judge Joel Kuhlman.

Kuhlman said he could impose a sentence of 180 days for the obstructing justice and failure to comply charges, 90 days for the obstructing official business charge, and 30 days for each hazing charge

Since there are multiple charges, the sentences could be consecutive; there is no mandatory jail time, he said.

Dobson said that on March 4, Lehane and members of Phi Kappa Alpha held a hazing event for new members that included them imbibing an excessive amount of alcohol.

Lehane was not a member of the fraternity but was a member of the household, Dobson said.

Foltz, who was 20 at the time, was among the members hazed.

Lehane took steps to prevent law enforcement from conducting their investigation into the event, Dobson said.

Sentencing was set for Feb. 10.

Krinn, who was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for violating his own recognizance bond, was brought from the jail to the courtroom.

The adult probation department had reported that Krinn had violated conditions of the electronic monitoring program by drinking alcohol and a warrant for his arrest was issued Friday.

Krinn, 20, again living in Bowling Green, is among eight men indicted in the March hazing death of BGSU sophomore Stone Foltz.

Dobson said both Krinn and defense attorney Samuel Shamansky continue to deny the defendant consumed any alcohol.

He said Krinn was willing to take a hair follicle test, which he is not familiar with and does not know the accuracy of.

“They have asked the court to release Mr. Krinn on his own recognizance at least pending the completion of the hair follicle test and the return of those results to the court,” Dobson said.

Based on the prior conversation he had with Dobson and Shamansky in his chambers, Kuhlman agreed to release Krinn on an OR bond with the same conditions as before, as well as submit to a hair follicle test.

The bond violation hearing was continued until Nov. 18, at which time Krinn also is scheduled for a final pretrial hearing.

Krinn is charged with two counts involuntary manslaughter — one a first-degree felony and one a third-degree felony — felonious assault, reckless homicide, obstructing official business, hazing, and failure to comply with underage alcohol laws in the March 7 death of Foltz.

He pleaded not guilty on May 19, at which time a stipulation of his own recognizance bond was he wear a continuous alcohol monitoring device under supervision of the adult probation department. He is not allowed to drink alcohol, as a bond condition

Other conditions are that he has no contact with the co-defendants or the Foltz family, not enter the BGSU campus and not use websites or apps for social media.

Lehane is the second of the eight men charged in Foltz’s death to enter a guilty plea.

Niall Sweeney, 21, Bowling Green, pleaded guilty in September to the amended charges of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and to one count of hazing, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

He had previously been charged with third-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, hazing, failing to comply with underage alcohol laws and obstructing official business.

The plea agreement was contingent on Sweeney’s continuing cooperation in the case, in return for community control sanctions, such as probation.

When he is sentenced Feb. 17, he could face up to six months in jail.

It is alleged Foltz consumed nearly all of the contents of a bottle of alcohol then was taken home by several members, including his Big Brother, Krinn.

He was left alone in his apartment and was found by his roommate. Foltz died March 7.

Foltz’s parents, Cory and Shari, were at Thursday’s proceedings.

Jacob Krinn appears in court Thursday.
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2021/10/web1_Krinn_1649_CMYK.jpgJacob Krinn appears in court Thursday. J.D. Pooley | Aim Media Midwest

Lehane
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2021/10/web1_Print_Lehane_1722_CMYK.jpgLehane J.D. Pooley | Aim Media Midwest

By Marie Thomas-Baird

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