USD basketball's Mihai Carcoana pleads not guilty to 2 rape charges in Clay County hearing
Suspended University of South Dakota basketball player Mihai Carcoana pleaded not guilty Thursday to two second degree felony rape charges and a misdemeanor for interference with emergency communication, according to court records.
Carcoana, 20, from Romania, also appeared in court Thursday for a bond hearing, where his attorney applied for a motion to modify bond conditions. The stipulations included traveling to meet defense counsel, travel to Georgia for a close personal and family friend and traveling to Michigan to visit a family member.
According to the Clay County Clerk of Courts Office, the judge approved one stipulation: traveling to meet defense counsel in Minnehaha County, while denying the motions for travel to Georgia and Michigan. It was unclear if the judge ordered an order to be drawn up to that effect on Thursday, but the office confirmed the modifications to his bond conditions.
Carcoana’s initial bond conditions, which he posted on Dec. 13, included remaining law abiding, maintaining contact with attorney, no contact with the alleged victim or the alleged victim’s residence, signing a waiver of extradition, relinquishing his passport and prohibited travel outside of the First Judicial Circuit, according to court documents.
Carcoana was arrested on Dec. 9, following a complaint made against him in the early morning hours.
According to an affidavit, Carcoana and the victim were inside his residence. The victim requested for friends to pick them up. Following that, Carcoana allegedly pushed the victim onto the bed, taking her phone and dismissed calls from friends, the affidavit said.
That was when Carcoana allegedly started to forcefully rape the victim as she tried to push Carcoana off, of whom police said is of a larger, “substantial size difference” compared with the victim, according to the affidavit.
After stopping, the victim immediately got dressed and left, according to court documents. The victim went to an emergency room to make the report of sexual assault.
That day, Corcoana was arrested after an investigation by the Vermillion Police Department that included the defendant’s residence, where items were seized and corroborated details were provided by the victim, the documents state. Four days later, on Dec. 13, he was bonded out.
According to court documents, Carcoana has a motions hearing April 6. There’s also a change of plea hearing scheduled for April 27. If the case eventually goes toward a jury trial, that would be scheduled sometime in the week of May 15, the Clay County Clerks of Courts Office said.
In a written arraignment and plea of not guilty, it was indicated that Carcoana has an "intention to exercise (his) right to a trial."
While he's still listed on the Coyotes' roster as of Thursday, Carcoana has been suspended indefinitely from the team while his charges are pending.
His last appearance for the men's basketball team was on Dec. 6 against Air Force, three days before the alleged incident and his arrest. Carcoana, a sophomore, transferred to USD after the 2021-2022 season where he played for Toledo.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: USD basketball player Mihai Carcoana pleads not guilty to rape charges
