New York Party Host Pleads Guilty to Serving Alcohol to Minors after Friend Dies

In Seaford, New York, police report that a young man who hosted a party pled guilty on October 17th to charges of serving alcohol to minors after a friend of his died of a heroin overdose.  It is reported that the offender cleaned up beer bottles up in his apartment while his friend laid dead after taking heroin.

19 year old Seewoo Sung is expected to be sentenced with 60 days imprisonment and 3 years of probation for hosting the party and for giving minors alcohol.  The young victim, 18 year old Natalie Ciappa, died in June while attending the party.

In New York, it is a misdemeanor offense for adults to serve alcohol to minors.  Sung is the seventh party host to be charged with violating this particular law this year.  Sung was also charged with a felony offense after it was found that he had tampered with evidence, but that charge was later dropped by New York prosecutors.

Sung's lawyer, Anthony Grandinette, reports that Sung was not liable for Ciappa's death.  He claims that Ciappa did not consume alcohol Sung provided at his party and that the heroin the young victim used was also not provided by Sung.

"He did what is common to most 19-year-olds: He got together with a group of friends, purchased alcohol and drank it," Grandinette said.

Ciappa's parents claim that when they came to Sung's apartment, they discovered their daughter's dead body on the living room floor, and that Sung was cleaning up beer bottles at that time.  Sung's lawyer disputes that statement.

If you have been charged with a drug or alcohol related crime in New York, click here to find an experienced criminal defense lawyer!