Former DU president arraigned

Kristen Russo

A former president of the Kent State chapter of Delta Upsilon fraternity pleaded not guilty to charges of felonious assault Friday in the Portage County Court of Common Pleas.

A grand jury indicted Robert S. Lewis, 21, of 202 S. Lincoln St., Thursday on a second-degree felony charge. Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said Lewis had a knife in his possession during an assault on Amanda M. Linna Sept. 21 at the Delta Upsilon house, where Lewis lives.

Lewis was arrested Sept. 24 at his parents’ home in Dover. If convicted, Vigluicci said Lewis could face a sentence of two to eight years in prison.

A pretrial hearing has been set for Nov. 16 with a possible jury trial set for Dec. 4.

Lewis was president of DU during the 2006-2007 academic year. A voicemail left on Lewis’ cell phone was not returned.

This is the second time in less than a year prosecutors charged a DU member with felonious assault.

Nicholas Zajac was charged with felonious assault for pushing Dana Lim, 25, of Parma, into a passing tow truck outside of the fraternity house on Oct. 29, 2006. He was a DU member at the time.

On March 23, 2007, he pleaded guilty to a lowered charge of aggravated assault and was sentenced to six months in prison June 11.

—Kristen Russo