Fraternity members sentenced for hazing

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Three members of a fraternity at the University of Texas were sentenced to probation this week for the hazing death of a university student in 2005.

In addition to receiving two years of deferred adjudication in the drinking death of 18-year-old Phanta Phoummarath, the three Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity members were sentenced to community service and fined $1,000 each, the Houston Chronicle said Wednesday.

Phoummarath died Dec. 10, 2005, after being forced to ingest more than four bottles of liquor as part of his initiation into the Texas fraternity.

Benny Chan, Andrew Nguyen and Kamal Pulukuri all pleaded no contest to charges related to their involvement in the hazing.

The fraternity's chapter at the Austin campus has lost its charter until 2011 because of the tragedy and its national organization is facing a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Phoummarath's family.

The newspaper said if the three fraternity members meet their probation requirements, they will not have convictions on their records, though the charges will remain.