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2 men convicted in connection to Ohio University hazing death

Posted at 4:00 PM, Feb 27, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-27 16:00:58-05

ATHENS, Ohio — Two of the men charged in the death of 18-year-old Collin Wiant during a fraternity hazing incident at Ohio University were convicted in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas Thursday.

A lawsuit by Wiant’s family alleged he died of asphyxiation after ingesting nitrous oxide provided to and forced on him by fraternity members on Nov. 12, 2018. The fraternity denied those allegations and said Wiant wasn't a pledge when he died. The university later expelled Sigma Pi.

In total, nine people were charged in relation to Wiant’s death.

Dominic Figliola, 21, of Athens, was convicted of misdemeanor hazing and ordered to complete one year of non-reporting probation, according to court records.

Judge Patrick Lang ordered Figliola’s other charges—permitting drug abuse, a felony; aggravated possession of drugs, a felony; and failure to comply with underage alcohol laws, a misdemeanor— be held in abeyance pending Figliola’s completion of the Prosecutor’s Office Athens County Empowerment Program.

Cullen McLaughlin, 21, of Northfield, was convicted of two felony counts of possession of LSD and ordered to complete the Prosecutor’s Office Athens County Empowerment Program, according to court records.

As part of their convictions, Figliola and McLaughlin agreed to testify against the remaining seven defendants.

RELATED: 9 charged, including Westlake man, after student dies amid alleged fraternity hazing