A former Bowling Green State University fraternity member has pleaded guilty for his part in the hazing death of Stone Foltz.

Canyon Caldwell, 22, Dublin, appeared Wednesday in the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Joel Kuhlman.

He is one of eight men accused in the death of Foltz and the fifth to enter a guilty plea.

Caldwell pleaded guilty to eight counts of hazing, all fourth-degree misdemeanors, and obstructing justice, a fifth-degree felony.

The charges of involuntary manslaughter and obstructing official business will be dismissed at sentencing, as will seven charges of non-compliance of underage alcohol laws, said Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson.

The obstructing justice charge is amended from the original charge of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

Dobson said that on March 4, 2021, Caldwell, as well as other members of the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity, participated in an event at the fraternity house on North Main Street.

The event was an initiation of new members for the fraternity, he said, and eight pledges, including Foltz, were strongly persuaded to drink a large bottle of alcohol.

Foltz was given a 1-liter bottle of bourbon, Dobson said.

He was taken to his apartment, where he fell unconscious and died March 7 at Toledo Hospital. His death was caused by alcohol poisoning, Dobson said.

Evidence would show that Caldwell acted recklessly and was complicit in Foltz’s death, he said.

Bowling Green Police Division immediately initiated an investigation that led them to Caldwell’s residence, which was the fraternity house.

Officers spoke with Caldwell’s roommates and as they were leaving, they told those roommates they would be back in the morning.

During the night, Caldwell cleaned up the evidence of the event and put it in garbage bags and placed those bags in the basement knowing that another roommate, Benjamin Boyers, was coming in the morning to remove the bags and dispose of them elsewhere, Dobson said.

Boyer appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, obstructing justice and eight counts hazing.

Removing the bags constituted obstruction of justice and the eight counts of hazing are for each of the pledges at the party, Dobson said.

“As the picture has become even clearer, the role that Mr. Caldwell played in the event that led to Stone’s death was less significant than the others indicted,” Dobson said in a press release.

“It is our responsibility as prosecutors to bring the right justice to bear on these cases. Mr. Caldwell’s plea means that we have five convictions, four of which are felony convictions resulting from this event. We continue to prepare for trial on the rest,” he said.

When asked by Kuhlman if Caldwell disputed these facts, defense attorney James Tyack said, “Not for the purposes of this plea and these charges.”

Dobson recommended a sentence of community control with the requirement that Caldwell testify truthfully at any trials of his co-defendants.

Kuhlman said the court does not have to follow this agreement and that he could impose a sentence of six to 12 months for the felony charge and up to 30 days in jail for each of the hazing charges.

Sentencing was scheduled for June 24.

The remaining three co-defendants, Daylen Dunson, Troy Henricksen and Jacob Krinn are scheduled to go to trial before Kuhlman starting May 16.

Krinn, who was Foltz’s Big Brother at the event, has been charged with first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, third-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, felonious assault, hazing, failure to comply with underage alcohol laws and obstructing official business.

Dunson and Henricksen have been charged with third-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence and hazing.

Henricksen also has been charged with reckless homicide.

Jarrett Prizel has pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, a third-degree felony, and eight counts of misdemeanor hazing.

Aaron Lehane has pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, obstructing official business, eight counts hazing and failure to comply with underage alcohol laws, all misdemeanor offenses.

Niall Sweeney has pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and one count hazing.

Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity was expelled from BGSU in April 2021.