February 23, 1995: Vol26n28: Fraternity suspended; three face felony charges
By CHRISTINE VIDAL
Reporter Editor
 A UB fraternity has been suspended and three members face felony
charges in connection with a break-in and assault on several students
in their Lisbon Avenue house.
	According to witness statements, between 30 and 40
individuals, armed with bats, broken bottles and frying pans and
believed to be members of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, broke into a
house on the 100 block of  Lisbon Avenue at about 2:45 a.m. Feb. 10
and attacked the residents of the house. None of the victims' injuries
were believed to be serious.
	A former UB student walking in the neighborhood also was
attacked and received what are believed to be the most serious
injuries. He was hospitalized with a broken jaw, according to
university officials, and required surgery.
	"It could have been a lot worse than it was," said Public
Safety Inspector Dan Jay, who described the rampage as "sickening."
	Three arrest warrants were issued last week, and two Sigma
Alpha Mu members, Kenneth Eng, 20, of Northrup Street, and Charles
Faison, 22 of Winspear Avenue, were charged Friday with felony counts
of burglary, assault and criminal mischief. A third fraternity member,
Christian Mink, 20, of Heath Street, was arraigned Tuesday afternoon,
and also faces felony charges of burglary, assault and criminal
mischief.
	While only three members of Sigma Alpha Mu currently have been
charged, it is likely that additional charges will be filed against
other members of the fraternity, according to Dennis Black, associate
vice president for Student Services and dean of students.
	"Only three individuals have been identified by victims. There
is an ongoing effort to identify individuals involved in the attack
and we expect there to be additional charges," said Black.
	Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity has been suspended and is no longer
entitled to conduct any campus activities, according to Black.
Likewise, "three students have been suspended from the university for
their alleged involvement in the attack."
	The fraternity  could face penalties ranging from multi-year
suspension to expulsion from the university. Last year, Black noted,
another fraternity involved in an incident that led to hazing charges
received a three-year suspension from UB.
	He stressed that this was an isolated incident among UB's
Greek community, one he likened to "a classic bad movie." The violence
apparently was sparked by an altercation in a bar over a female friend
of a member of the fraternity. 
	"This is not a common occurrence within our fraternities and
sororities. We have no past history of this and don't tolerate it now.
We don't expect it to happen again in the future," Black said.