Another Utah State University student sentenced in alcohol death

Published: Monday, July 6, 2009 5:13 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

LOGAN — One of the Utah State University students charged in connection with the alcohol-poisoning death of a fraternity pledge will spend 14 days in jail.

Christopher Allen Ammon, 20, pleaded no contest in May to unlawful supply of alcohol to a minor, a class B misdemeanor. He was sentenced Monday in 1st District court.

Judge Thomas Willmore sentenced Ammon to 180 days in jail but suspended 166 days of the sentence, according to court records. Ammon will also be placed on probation for six months and pay a $500 fine.

Part of Ammon's probation requires him to complete alcohol counseling, not consume or possess alcohol or drugs, violate no other law, and complete 200 hours of volunteer service at colleges or high schools teaching students about underage drinking, according to court records. He was also told not to be a member of any fraternity.

Michael Starks, 18, died after participating in an initiation ceremony for the then-USU chapter of Sigma Nu. The initiation involved Starks and another pledge being "kidnapped" by Chi Omega sorority women. An affidavit of probable cause states the pledges were stripped down to their boxers and painted in USU school colors.

Story continues below

Sometime during the activity, they began drinking, prosecutors say. They returned to the fraternity house already heavily intoxicated, and a few hours later Starks was found unconscious and not breathing. He died at a hospital shortly afterward.

Eight of the 12 students originally charged in the case have had their cases resolved. Three had the charges dismissed, while five have either pleaded guilty or no contest to some aspect of the charges, according to court records.

— Ethan Thomas

Recent comments

14 days? Threw the book at him eh Judge? Throw the DA in jail for...

THEeyepatch | July 6, 2009 at 6:35 p.m.

He knowingly violated the law and someone ended up dead due to his...

Dumb Comment | July 6, 2009 at 6:10 p.m.

Wow 14 days add up the man hours to prosecute him and all of the...

Anonymous | July 6, 2009 at 5:20 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

Nothing proposed would keep young adults from learning of the reality of sex,...

Utes pound winless Lobos

the only "decent" team we played we lost to? I guess that Air Force isn't a...

I am watching the game again, and it is awesome!!!

Utes pound winless Lobos

I can't help but laugh inside when I read comments from YBU/TCU fans who...

(from the independant) I like Dennis Miller.... and Bill Maher, although I...

As a BYU alumnus, I can't justify to myself ever donating another dollar to...

Not a chance. Don't get me wrong they are both studs, but if Asiata wasn't...

Titan Fan, sorry that some of your best players got hurt. I hope they...

Utahns in House oppose reform bill

So sad how fear based so many are.

Will the Jazz even make the playoffs this year. The way they are playing it...

Advertisements
Advertisement