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Student pleads not guilty to keeping 'hit list' on frat brothers

Miami junior charged with aggravated menacing, kicked out of Alpha Sig for allegedly hurting a fraternity member and threatening to kill more

Photo by doyleca3 | The Miami Student
Contributed by Butler County Sheriff's Office

Cameron Wallace, Miami University junior and former Alpha Sigma Phi (Alpha Sig) fraternity member, plead not guilty Thursday to charges of aggravated menacing in Butler County Area I court at the Oxford Courthouse.

Wallace was removed from the Alpha Sig house two weeks earlier for allegedly kicking and choking a frat brother, texting chapter president and sophomore Billy Shand that he had a "hit list" of members he'd like to kill and threatening to "shoot up" the frat house and burn down the room of a specific member, according to a Oxford Police Department (OPD) report and court documents.

On April 27, Shand and fellow Alpha Sigs, junior Jacob Golovan and senior Mark Holtgrave, reported Wallace to OPD.

Shand became increasingly concerned after Wallace texted him about Wallace's "hit list" against the frat members he "didn't like." Wallace said if Shand or any fraternity executive members kicked Wallace out of Alpha Sig he would retaliate by reporting the frat for false sexual assault and hazing allegations to Miami, according to the incident report.

Shand, Golovan and Holtgrave were worried about Wallace's mental health and told OPD he had threatened suicide and hurt himself over the past semester, Officer Anthony Jones wrote in the incident report.

OPD also spoke with junior Joseph Patracuollo, who Wallace called on April 26. During their conversation, Wallace named four specific fraternity brothers he wanted to hurt, but Wallace assured Patracuollo he would be safe when Wallace came to "shoot up" the Alpha Sig house.

Shand told OPD that Wallace was officially kicked out of the fraternity on April 28.

The Student reached out to Shand, Golovan and Hotgrave, but none of them responded to requests for comment.

OPD issued a warrant for Wallace's arrest on April 30. He was taken into custody on May 1 and spent a day in Butler County Jail before posting bail May 2.

Wallace was released before his initial hearing on the condition he would have "no contact with victim[s] or Alpha Sigma Phi," according to court documents.

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Wallace is still enrolled at Miami, university spokeswoman Claire Wagner wrote in an email to The Student. He also faces a separate third degree felony charge for "making terrorist threat," through Butler County Area I court.

Wallace's defense attorney, Michael D'Amico pushed back the initial hearing to 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 6 for a pre-trial conference.

Judge Robert H. Lyons will preside over the next hearing in the Oxford Courthouse.

Wallace faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the charges.

doyleca3@miamioh.edu

@cadoyle_18