Former GVSU student pleads guilty in sexual assault case

BRANCH COUNTY — A former Grand Valley State University student accused of sexually assaulting an underage girl last summer will face no jail time after a plea agreement.

Olando Trader, 19, waived his preliminary examination and entered a guilty plea Feb. 2 to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a misdemeanor.

At his sentencing April 17, he will be placed on probation under the Holmes Youthful Training Act with no jail time. Upon successful completion, his record will be cleared.

Trader originally faced two charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct after he allegedly forced himself on a 16-year-old girl on July 16, 2022, at a Batavia Township party.

Ann Arbor criminal defense attorney William Amadeo and Branch County Prosecutor Zack Stempien negotiated the plea bargain after Trader’s Jan. 27 arrest and release on bond.

Stempien offered the plea after further investigation, including some witness statements that did not match the account given by the victim.

“Essentially, the two witnesses were the victim and the defendant. They were the only two in the room. But there were other witnesses that were presenting evidence that was contrary to different statements. So, it was going to be a very difficult case to get to the beyond a reasonable doubt standard,” Stempien said.  

Complicating the situation was an incident where the victim's mother confronted Trader in Coldwater on Oct 22.

The victim's mother allegedly brandished a purple Glock pistol and threatened Trader and his friends. She was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

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In the plea bargain, Stempien reduced those charges to brandishing a weapon, a misdemeanor. She will be sentenced in Branch County Circuit Court on March 27.

Stempien said her plea was mitigated by the sexual assault case.

More: GVSU student charged with date rape after a summer party in Branch County

“We find that it's still inappropriate for people to take matters into their own hands. We do understand her thought process at that point in time. Certainly, she still should be held accountable,” the prosecutor stated.

“With everything considered that's happened between the parties, it was, in our opinion, the best resolution to get the cases resolved in an appropriate manner," Stempien said.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: GVSU student pleads guilty in sexual assault case