By Mark Hallum
The first of 37 defendants was sentenced in Pennsylvania court in the death of Oakland Gardens student, Chun Hsien “Michael” Deng, 19, after he died in a fraternity hazing ritual gone wrong in December 2013.
Ka Wing Yuen, 25, was sentence Tuesday to five years probation, a $1,000 fine and 100 days of community service following a guilty plea he made Jan. 10 to a felony charge of conspiracy to hinder apprehension by evidence tampering and a misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to haze, according to the Pocono Record.
“I’m extremely sorry for what happened,” Yuen said with his defense attorney standing by. “It was most unfortunate.”
Deng was blindfolded and made to carry a heavy backpack across frozen ground before being tackled and beaten in a Baruch College Pi Delta Psi hazing ritual known as the “glass ceiling” during a retreat in the Poconos when the incident which cause the student’s death occurred.
Former members of the fraternity Charles Lai, Kenny Kwan, Raymond Lam, Daniel Li and Sheldon Wong were charged with homicide, involuntary manslaughter and criminal conspiracy-related charges, according to police in September 2015, along with another five charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, hindering apprehension, hazing and criminal conspiracy.
The Monroe County grand jury also indicted 27 others on charges ranging from aggravated assault to criminal conspiracy.
Andy Meng, the younger brother of U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and head of the national fraternity, was one of the 27 members. Meng faces lesser felony charges of hindering apprehension, hazing and criminal conspiracy, police said.
According to police officials, Meng was allegedly called by fraternity members when Deng lost consciousness and advised them to hide items with fraternity logos, disguise all signs of hazing and to remove Deng’s clothing. The fraternity members allegedly waited 90 minutes before seeking medical attention for the pledge.
Dr. Wayne Ross, a forensic pathologist, who investigated the extent of Deng’s injuries said he might have survived had they sought help sooner.
The evaluation completed by Ross showed “significant and severe” damage to the dead, a large bruise on the back indicating repeated blunt force trauma resulting in traumatic asphyxia and bruising on the thighs, possibly from restraint or impact.
Pi Delta Psi, an Asian-American fraternity with around 21 chapters at schools around the country, has been banned from the Baruch College following the incident.
A Manhattan judge ruled in April 2015 that the Deng family could file a late claim for monetary loss with the CUNY’s Baruch College after the death of their son.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
