UPDATED:

One of the 11 men charged in the hazing death of VCU freshman Adam Oakes plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges in Richmond Circuit Court on Tuesday morning.

Andrew White, who prosecutors say was identified as Adam Oakes’ “big brother” in Delta Chi, plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of hazing and giving alcohol to a minor.

His guilty pleas come nearly 10 months after the VCU freshman was found dead in an off-campus house in February.

Oakes died of alcohol poisoning following an off-campus fraternity party.

In court on Tuesday, prosecutors said Oakes was an underground pledge for Delta Chi.

Prosecutors said Adam Oakes’ BAC was .42%, which is five times the legal driving limit in Virginia.

According to prosecutors, Oakes and two other underground pledges were driven to a house on West Clay Street with their heads down.

At this location, prosecutors say Adam was given a Solo cup with the fraternity’s “family drink,” which witnesses described as “unusually strong.” Prosecutors said Oakes was told to chug this and drink a handle of Jack Daniels with White.

Defense Attorney Stephen Mutnick said White stayed with Adam during the night and cared for him.

In all, 11 people were charged with misdemeanors in connection to Adam’s death in September.

Benjamin Corado, another person who was charged in connection to Adam Oakes’ death, also had a procedural hearing. In court on Tuesday, his case was continued until Feb. 7, 2020.

Adam Oakes’ family pushes for change to Virginia’s hazing law

Sentencing for Andrew White is scheduled for March 1, 2022 at 9 a.m.

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Richmond Time – 12/20/21 Story

A former Virginia Commonwealth University student plans to concede to misdemeanor charges of hazing and giving alcohol to a minor, the first potential outcome after 11 former Delta Chi fraternity members were arrested in connection to the death of Adam Oakes after an initiation party.

Andrew White intends to plead guilty or no contest at a hearing Tuesday in Richmond Circuit Court, said his lawyer, Stephen A. Mutnick. White was identified by a prosecutor as Oakes’ big brother in the fraternity.

“As much as we want to see this plea as a glimmer of hope in Adam’s case, it is only 1 of 11,” Oakes’ family said in a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Adam’s death was caused by everybody who participated, planned and initiated that night.”

Oakes, 19, died of alcohol poisoning following an off-campus fraternity party in February. That night, Delta Chi leaders assigned him to his big brother. Oakes was given a handle of Jack Daniel’s, containing about 40 shots, and told to drink, according to a police investigation.

Members of the fraternity found him the next morning lying on a sticky dining room floor of the West Clay Street house. He was declared dead at the scene, and his blood alcohol content was five times the legal driving limit.

Mutnick would not say why White intends to plead guilty or no contest. Asked if White made a plea agreement with prosecutors, Mutnick declined to comment.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Alison Martin did not respond to a message seeking comment.

White, 23, will not be sentenced Tuesday, Mutnick said. White is charged with unlawful hazing and serving alcohol to a minor, both Class 1 misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of $2,500.

White wasn’t enrolled this past semester, a VCU spokesperson said in October. He is from the Dulles area.

“Adam loved everyone he encountered, including Andrew [White], and unfortunately that opened him up to what occurred that night,” Oakes’ family said. “Someone he saw as a new friend, mentor and companion disregarded the fact that Adam was a human being, that he was someone’s son, grandson, nephew and cousin.

“A big brother is someone who is supposed to look out for you, protect you and teach you what it means to be a brother in the fraternity. To us, Andrew failed his first night on the job. His failure to fulfill his role cost Adam his life. Adam’s first night as a Delta Chi will always be his last.”

Following a seven-month investigation, authorities charged 11 former members of Delta Chi with hazing. Six of them also were charged with serving alcohol to a minor. VCU banned the fraternity from campus, and a defense lawyer said the university suspended the students charged.

Authorities also charged Jason Mulgrew, Colin Tran, Alessandro Medina-Villanueva, Quinn Kuby, Riley McDaniel, Benjamin Corado, Robert Fritz, Christian Rohrbach, Alexander Bradley and Enayat Sheikhzad. None of the 11 has made a plea yet, according to court records.

Corado is also due in court for a status hearing Tuesday. Mulgrew, Tran, Medina-Villanueva, McDaniel, Fritz and Bradley have hearings scheduled for February.

Three members of the fraternity have trials scheduled: Rohrbach, scheduled for April; Sheikhzad in June; and Kuby in July.

“The pain and heartache has only just begun, and there is such a long road ahead for our family,” Oakes’ family said. “We hold tight to Adam’s memory and let that drive our actions toward change against hazing.”