Here is the story link to Boston.com
excerpt from the Boston Globe: see link above
Prosecutors said Wednesday they are dropping most of the charges against the Boston University students who allegedly left five stripped-down fraternity pledges covered with condiments in a hazing incident in April.
Two of the nine defendants, Jesse Kay, 20, and Spencer Davidson, 21, still face the most serious charge of assault and battery for what prosecutors have described as inhumane treatment of the pledges, found by police shivering in the basement of an Allston home that was being used as the Alpha Epsilon Pi house. Both men, who appeared to be the ringleaders in the hazing ritual, also face single counts of hazing and failure to report hazing.
Kay and Davidson are accused of ordering the victims to duct-tape themselves to one another and to disrobe, according to prosecutors. They then allegedly poured hot chili sauce on them, causing welts to appear on their skin. They also allegedly ordered the victims to drink fish oil, said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney’s office.
Kay was in Brighton District Court on Wednesday, along with five other defendants. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to return to court on Aug. 20 for a pretrial hearing.
Davidson was arraigned June 20 and also ordered back on the same date. The two face up to 2½ years in jail, if convicted.
Boston police originally issued five charges on each of the counts the defendants faced, to reflect the number of victims, but have since reduced the counts. For example, Kay and Davidson had faced 15 counts each but now face only three single charges….
Defendant Kyle Shevrin, 21, failed to appear for his arraignment, but had sent a letter to the court asking for a postponement because he is in California. Judge Patricia Bernstein found him in default but stayed the arrest warrant until Aug. 20.
Shevrin, according to a police report, had attempted to flee during the incident but was stopped by police.
Katz and Alexander Nisenzon, 21, were found in a second-floor bedroom where they and three other defendants, were “lying in a bed together, faking that they were sleeping,’’ according to the report.
Nisenzon faces a charge of failure to report hazing and his arraignment was deferred until Aug. 27.
Jonathon Toobi, 22, is out of the country and his arraignment was deferred to Dec. 12. He faces one count of failure to report hazing. The arraignment for Lawrence Rosenblum, 19, was also deferred, to Sept. 20. He faces charges of failure to report hazing and keeping a noisy and disorderly house.
