Ex-WWE star Tammy 'Sunny' Sytch pleads no contest: Here is what we know about the case
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One year and fourth months after her arrest in the death for driving drunk and causing the death of a motorist in Ormond Beach, World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Tammy "Sunny" Sytch pleaded no contest, just days before her trial was set to begin.
Sytch, 51, has been held without bail at the Volusia County Jail since May 2022, when she was arrested for allegedly killing a motorist in an auto accident in March of that same year.
Sytch was later charged with DUI causing death; driving on a suspended license causing serious injury; four counts of DUI causing injury to a person; and three counts of DUI causing damage to property, according to court records.
With the former WWE star's no-contest plea, she faces up to more than two decades in prison. Here is what we know about Sytch’s arrest and the case:
Tammy Sytch’s March 2022 car accident
On March 25, 2022, Sytch's vehicle failed to stop and crashed into the back of a stopped car at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Granada Boulevard, leading to the death of Julian LaFrancis Lasseter, 75.
According to police, a blood test taken at the time of the crash showed Sytch had a blood alcohol content of .280, which is 3-1/2 times the legal limit of .08 set by Florida law.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyst later testified that in addition to alcohol, Sytch's blood test detected THC, which indicates she had been smoking or consuming marijuana sometime before the crash.
In addition, an Ormond Beach police officer testified that police found an unsealed bottle of Grey Goose vodka in the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle at the time of the crash.
'Not guilty': Matawan's Tammy 'Sunny' Sytch, WWE Hall of Famer, pleads not guilty in fatal DUI
Sytch was arrested May 6, 2022, at the Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach shortly before 10 p.m. with the help of Daytona Beach Police.
Judge revokes Sytch’s bond
Shortly after Sytch’s arrest, prosecutors sought to revoke the WWE Hall of Famer's bond, saying she "poses a threat of harm to the community" based on past driving offenses, according to court documents.
Court records show Sytch was released from jail on May 7, a day after her arrest, after she posted a $227,500 bail.
In the week after Sytch’s initial arrest, Circuit Judge Karen Foxman agreed with the prosecution’s request and ordered Sytch’s arrest again, revoking her bond.
Sytch’s defense attorney at the time, Steven deLaroche, had asked that Sytch be allowed to remain free but required to wear an ankle monitor with an alcohol sensor. Foxman said a monitor would be too easy to evade.
Sytch’s past offenses
Assistant State Attorney Ashley Terwilleger wrote in her motion requesting the bond’s revocation that Florida law allows for pretrial detention if there is "substantial probability" a person committed the offense and poses a threat to the community.
Her motion listed Sytch’s prior offenses, some of which include:
An arrest on May 30, 2015, in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, on several charges, including driving under the influence, driving while license is suspended or revoked and careless driving.
A second arrest on June 1, 2015, again in Carbon County, on charges including driving under the influence, driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked, and reckless driving.
Another arrest on June 20, 2015, on charges including driving under the influence, driving without a license and careless driving.
Sytch pleads not guilty
Almost a month after her arrest, Sytch entered a plea of not guilty to DUI causing death and other charges stemming from the deadly traffic crash in Ormond Beach.
The charges add up to more than 25 years in prison if convicted on all counts and with the sentences running consecutively.
Sytch's fiancé, James Pente, an Ormond Beach resident, said after the hearing that he apologized to the family of the man killed and said Sytch feels bad about it.
Previous coverage: WWE Hall of Famer Tammy Sytch getting new lawyer as judge warns her fiancé about behavior
"She feels absolutely terrible. I can't emphasize it more. She just feels bad in general," he said. "Everybody's life's ruined."
Sytch gets a new lawyer
When Sytch came to a pretrial hearing on June 30, 2022, she no longer had an attorney.
DeLaroche had filed a motion on June 16 to stop representing her, stating that Sytch had not complied with the terms of his employment agreement. Foxman granted the request on June 23.
Foxman told Sytch to fill out a form to determine if she qualified for representation by the public defender’s office, which she did and Sytch was represented by a public defender.
Sytch pleads no contest
On Wednesday, Sytch pleaded no contest to her charges after reaching an agreement with the prosecutors.
In addition to her felony charges, Sytch is also facing four counts of DUI with "damage to person," and two counts of DUI with damage to property.
Each of the six counts is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in the county jail, but as part of the agreement, Sytch would be sentenced to time-served on those six counts and the sentences would run concurrently.
She must serve a four-year minimum sentence.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ex-WWE star Tammy 'Sunny' Sytch pleads no contest in DUI death case
