A former West Virginia University Student who bit part of another man’s ear off during a fight pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor after successfully completing a pretrial diversion.
Chief Judge Cindy Scott accepted Dean Schrantz’s no contest plea to battery in Monongalia County Circuit Court. She sentenced him to pay a $250 of a possible $500 in fines and said she would rather see his money go to restitution, which she ordered him to pay in the amount of $13,205.
Schrantz entered the no contest plea because of civil matters, his attorney, Bryan Edwards, said.
“There is evidence that could lead to his conviction but he’s not admitting guilt,” Edwards said.
Schrantz pleaded guilty to malicious assault in July 2018 but that plea was not accepted and he served a year on probation as part of the pretrial diversion. If he had broken the terms of his probation that plea would have been accepted.
Assistant Prosecutor Gabrielle Mucciola said Schrantz completed the terms of the diversion and recommended a fine for his battery conviction.
If the case had gone to trail, the state would have shown on Oct. 2, 2018, WVU Police went to a disturbance at University Place and found the victim sitting in a chair with part of his ear missing. His girlfriend at the time said she saw Schrantz bite the victim’s ear during a fight, Mucciola said.
Edwards contested most of the requested restitution, however, Scott ordered all medical expenses be covered by Shcrantz. The victim has undergone two plastic surgeries to repair his ear and a third will be needed.
Schrantz will not have to reimburse the victim for lost housing costs, tuition and fees, which the victim requested.
The victim’s father testified his son did not pass a single class that semester because of the attack.
Scott said she didn’t see a real correlation between the attack and the victim being unsuccessful in the semester. It was also unclear if any of that money was refunded by the university.
