Chance Marsteller coaching a wrestler from Kennard-DaleChance Marsteller, four-time Pennsylvania high school state wrestling champ who had competed at Oklahoma State and Lock Haven University, pled guilty to charges Thursday from an incident last summer, then announced plans to return to classes at LHU next week, according to multiple media reports.
Marsteller entered guilty pleas on six criminal counts of simple assault and one count of open lewdness in Pennsylvania's Clinton County Court for a violent episode in August 2016.
In addition, Marsteller's attorney, Ryan C. Gardner, said Thursday that his client has been accepted for enrollment at Lock Haven, and will return on Monday as a student. Marsteller said he has been in touch with the school's wrestling program, and hopes to rejoin the team in the 2017-18 academic year.
The 21-year-old wrestler offered his guilty plea this week just as jury selection was to begin. He will be sentenced Feb. 13.
Gardner said his client was presented with a plea agreement from Clinton County District Attorney David Strouse that would include seven years of court supervision and an intensive probationary period. That period would include Marsteller reporting to the district probation department twice a week as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation and counseling. The judge may also add a community service requirement.
"My effort in fashioning this plea offer was to give Marsteller the opportunity to succeed in a structured environment but also to make sure he is held accountable every single step of the way," Strouse told PennLive.com Friday.
Marsteller will present this plea agreement to the judge at his sentencing hearing next month. If the judge does not accept the agreement, Marsteller will have the opportunity to withdraw his plea and go to trial. The judge indicated if he accepts the agreement, terms of probation could include a curfew.
On August 25, 2016, Chandler S. Marsteller was arrested for biting and spitting at police officers after he was banging on doors in a Lock Haven apartment complex while wearing only a towel. The original charges included six counts of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, disorderly conduct/fighting, six counts of recklessly endangering another, six counts of simple assault and one count of open lewdness, according to court documents.
The same documents indicated that Marsteller had a blood alcohol content that was more than three times the legal limit and had marijuana and cocaine in his system when he was arrested.
Marsteller was dismissed from the Lock Haven wrestling team as a result of the allegations.
Marsteller has told the court that he has been clean since his arrest. He checked himself into an in-patient drug and alcohol treatment facility and followed that up with two months of out-patient treatment.
Since returning home, Marsteller also has been a volunteer assistant coach with the Kennard-Dale junior high school wrestling team and said he plans to return to coach the team in a tournament later this winter.
Gardner said he was hopeful Marsteller's work as a volunteer assistant would contribute to his community service requirements.
When asked what can be accomplished by Marsteller returning to Lock Haven, Gardner said: "I think it's part of his recovery….A chance to show everyone why he went there and what he looked to accomplish initially."
A four-time PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) wrestling champ, Chance Marsteller compiled a perfect 166-0 record at Kennard-Dale High School. The highly-recruited wrestler had originally committed to Penn State before switching to Oklahoma State. However, Marsteller struggled in his second year with the Cowboys, and was suspended in January 2016 by head coach John Smith for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Marsteller later announced his plans to return to Pennsylvania to wrestle at Lock Haven.
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