Seven more people charged in 2021 death during frat party in East Lansing

Ken Palmer and Matt Mencarini, Lansing State Journal
·3 min read

EAST LANSING — A criminal case stemming from the alcohol-related death of a fraternity pledge in November 2021 has grown to include a total of nine defendants.

Prosecutors in late January filed charges against seven people in connection with the death of Phat Nguyen, 21, during a "crossing party" at a since-disbanded Michigan State University fraternity, court records indicate.

Phat Nguyen pictured following his high school graduation. Nguyen was a Michigan State University student in 2021 when he died during after a fraternity hazing event.
Phat Nguyen pictured following his high school graduation. Nguyen was a Michigan State University student in 2021 when he died during after a fraternity hazing event.

Three people were charged in June 2022, and two of those cases are still pending. Charges against the third were dismissed in late 2022.

The new charges resulted from evidence presented by East Lansing police, who downloaded and analyzed data from a large number of cellphones, a time-consuming process, Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane said. In all, 10 cellphones were seized as part of the investigation, he said.

"That's a lot of data to go through," he said.

All nine defendants are charged with hazing resuting in death, a maximum 15-year felony, and three counts of hazing resulting in injury, a maximum 93-day misdemeanor. The charges stem from a party at Pi Alpha Phi fraternity on Nov. 20, 2021, in which police found four people who had passed out, including one who was "unresponsive and not breathing," police said at the time.

Police said the victims had alcohol poured down their throats and drank until incapacitated. Once the victims were unconscious, party attendees drew on them, slapped their hands and buttocks and placed food on them. Phat Nguyen died and three other people were hospitalized, officials said.

Ethan Cao, 24, and Andrew Nguyen, 25, were charged in 2022, and their cases are still pending. Andrew Nguyen is not related to Phat Nguyen.

Both Cao and Andrew Nguyen waived their preliminary examinations, but Cao's case was returned to district court for a hearing held to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial on the charges. The hearing got underway last month but has not concluded.

The new defendants are Hannah Lee, 24; Ali Ghazi, 23; Hoang John Pham, 24; Nicholas Phraxayavong, 23; David Shim, 23; Courtney Thang, 22; and Sumin Yoo, 22. All were granted personal bonds.

Defense defendants did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on Friday afternoon.

When Cao's preliminary examination got underway last month, an East Lansing police officer testified about the state of the house where the fraternity party occurred and conditions of the three students who were passed out in the basement. She said the basement smelled “putrid” and “disgusting,” and police attempted CPR and chest compressions before paramedics arrived.

Additional details about the night Nguyen died were revealed last year when his family filed a civil lawsuit in Ingham County Circuit Court against Cao, Andrew Nguyen and more than a dozen others, including some who are now facing criminal charges.

Before the fall 2021 semester, Nguyen started looking at fraternities and decided to pledge Pi Alpha Phi, according to the suit. On Nov. 19, 2021, Nguyen and the other pledges got to the fraternity house around 10:30 p.m. for the blackout event, the lawsuit said. They began drinking excessive amounts of alcohol at the direction of fraternity members and by 11:30 p.m., Nguyen and the other pledges were taken into the basement so they could vomit.

All were too intoxicated to walk down the stairs themselves, and Nguyen had to be carried, according to the lawsuit.

People at the house then "drew and wrote crude pictures and things on the pledges with black Sharpies, covered them in Cheerios, shoved Cheerios in their pants and mouths, and/or poured water down their pants," according to the lawsuit.

In their lawsuit, Nguyen's family said they don't believe the defendants acted intentionally to kill Phat, but said "their negligence and recklessness in acting, or failing to act," caused his injuries and death.

The MSU Board of Trustees last week amended the school's student code of conduct, adding language against hazing.

Sarah Atwood contributed to this report.

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Seven more people charged in 2021 death during frat party in East Lansing