Former Washington State fraternity members sentenced to 8 months for serving alcohol to minor

Three former fraternity members at Washington State University have been sentenced to eight months probation after pleading guilty to supplying liquor to a minor on the same night a 19-year-old freshman at the school died of alcohol poisoning, according to a report by The Associated Press.

The three former students, Maxwell Rovegno, Cameron Thomas and Nolan Valcik, pleaded guilty to one count of furnishing liquor to a minor, the AP reported, citing sentencing documents from the Whitman County District Court.

Rovegno, Thomas and Valcik were not accused of furnishing alcohol to Sam Martinez, 19.

Martinez died after attending an Alpha Tau Omega fraternity chapter event in November 2019, according to the AP. The county’s medical examiner ruled that Martinez’s death was an accident by alcohol poisoning.

In 2020, Martinez’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against WSU and the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, stating that Martinez and other pledges were instructed to drink a half-gallon bottle of hard alcohol before the end of the evening, the AP reported.

WSU suspended the fraternity until 2026, the AP noted.

Rovegno, Thomas and Valcik were each sentenced to serve one day in jail and pay a $1,000 fine with $500 suspended for supplying liquor to a minor.

The AP reported that 15 people were ultimately charged in connection with the November 2019 event. Only one defendant was accused of giving alcohol to Martinez.

CORRECTION: Maxwell Rovegno, Cameron Thomas and Nolan Valcik were not accused of furnishing alcohol to Sam Martinez. Incorrect information was included in an earlier version of this story.