Cunningham, Dell plead guilty to Nov. assault

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MSU football players B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of assault and battery stemming from a dormitory brawl in November 2009.

Cunningham, a sophomore wide receiver, and Dell, a junior wide receiver, are scheduled to be sentenced March 8. A single charge of conspiracy to commit assault and battery was dropped for both players as part of the plea agreement.

James Newton, the lawyer for both players, said it will be determined at sentencing whether either player will serve time in jail. Both players face up to 93 days in jail.

Newton declined to comment on Cunningham and Dell’s role in the November altercation.

“It would be inappropriate at this time,” Newton said.

Cunningham and Dell are the first two players who were allowed back at football facilities by MSU head coach Mark Dantonio to plead guilty in connection to the fight.

Former MSU running back Ashton Leggett, who is transferring to Illinois State, is the only other player to reach a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery Jan. 14 and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 19.

The charges stem from a Nov. 22. 2009, fight at Rather Hall, where 15 to 20 football players allegedly attacked members of the Iota Phi Theta fraternity, witnesses said.

Witnesses said members of the MSU football team came looking for a member of the fraternity after a fight broke out the previous night at The Small Planet, 16800 Chandler Road.

The fraternity released a statement in November 2009 blaming football players for the assault.

Pretrial conferences originally scheduled earlier this month were moved to an unspecified date in February for six other players — former junior safety Roderick Jenrette, former sophomore running back Glenn Winston, sophomore wide receiver Fred Smith, redshirt freshman linebacker Jamiihr Williams, junior offensive lineman J’Michael Deane and junior cornerback Chris L. Rucker.

Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said other players are negotiating plea agreements.

“We’ve had discussions with other players,” he said. “Whether or not it gets to the point of reaching a resolution has yet to be determined.”

Dunnings commended MSU police for its thorough investigation, which is ongoing.

“Everything to know about this (incident) is not yet known,” he said. “This matter is like the peeling of an onion. We’re not even close to the center yet.”

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