WATERVILLE — Three former Colby College students pleaded guilty Tuesday to criminal mischief in connection with a fire May 22 that damaged a dumpster on campus just hours before a commencement exercise.
The guilty pleas were part of an agreement with the Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office that will defer the criminal mischief charges for a year, and have them dismissed if certain conditions are met. The Colby graduates must volunteer two weeks at Pine Tree Camp in Rome, complete another 50 hours of community service at a location of their choice or donate $500 to a nonprofit organization in Kennebec County, and participate in a forum with law enforcement officials at Colby next spring.
The former students also must pay $1,438 in restitution to the Waterville Fire Department and Waste Management, which owned the dumpster; they must not use or possess alcohol; and they will be subject to random searches and testing, according to the agreement. They also must pay a $100 fine for the civil infraction of burning without a permit, and that infraction will remain on their records.
“This was a stupid prank that, thankfully, didn’t get out of hand, and it was alcohol-fueled,” said Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney following the Waterville District Court appearances.
Kate Carlisle, Colby’s director of communications, said Tuesday via email that Colby would have no comment on the case.
The former students – Ryan W. Neville, 23, of Westwood, Massachusetts; Andrew J. Ferraro, 23, of Reading, Massachusetts; and Jesse Eddy, 22, of Cheshire, Connecticut – were represented Tuesday by their respective attorneys, Walter McKee, Richard Berne and Brad Grant.
Maloney said her office will proceed with a criminal mischief charge against one more person in the case.
“Now we have evidence to charge because of these cases being resolved today,” she said.
McKee said afterward that it was a fair resolution and everyone agreed it was the right result.
“These three young men have no criminal record and simply did something stupid the night before their college graduation,” McKee said in an email. “Thankfully no one was harmed. They are each going to perform some community service, stay out of trouble and pay restitution; and in a year, this case will be dismissed.”
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