Swadner Pleads No Contest To Charges From 2014 Crash
A Shawano County man reached a plea agreement just days before his case was set to go to jury trial. 20-year old Ryan Swadner of Belle Plaine entered the plea during a pre-trial conference on Wednesday. The charges stem from an accident that took the lives of 15-year old Paige Brunette of Bonduel, 17-year old Cody Borsch and 18-year old Tyler Welch, both students at Shawano High School.
Swadner was operating the vehicle at the time of the fatal crash, but he was accused of driving under the influence of illegal drugs.
“Mr. Swadner and his defense team decided that they would accept an offer to settle the case before it goes to jury trial next week” District Attorney Greg Parker said.
Swadner plead No Contest to three counts of homicide by vehicle by use of a restricted controlled substance in the deaths of three teens in October 2014. Swadner also plead No Contest to Causing Injury by Operating a Motor Vehicle by use of a restricted controlled substance. Two other counts were dismissed and read in for possession with intent to deliver THC and keeping a drug trafficking place, Parker said that was the motor vehicle that was used for purposes of transporting marijuana on the date that the accident occurred.
“All the other counts were dismissed outright” Parker said. “The plea that was accepted was that the State would cap our recommendation at 24 years of initial confinement, and that is what we would argue” Parker said.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 10th, 2018.
Swadner remains free on bond.
