The first of 37 defendants charged in connection with the December 2013 hazing death of 18-year-old Chun "Michael" Deng in Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County, has pleaded guilty.

Ka-Wing Yuen, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit hindering apprehension by concealing, destroying or tampering with evidence, a felony of the third degree, and conspiracy to commit hazing, a misdemeanor of the third degree.Yuen's plea was entered at the start of the second day of his trial on Tuesday after the commonwealth presented a full day of evidence.The evidence presented consisted of testimony from responding and investigating officers and physical evidence collected during the course of the investigation.In accepting the plea, Yuen avoided the potential for conviction on three additional felony offenses for hindering apprehension and conspiracy. Sentencing for Yuen is scheduled for Jan. 23.Yuen, the first brother from the first pledge class of the Baruch Colony of Pi Delta Psi, was charged for his role in the cover-up of the fraternity hazing that took place the weekend of Dec. 6-8, 2013, at a residence on Candlewood Drive. That hazing included a secret fraternity tradition in which fraternity brothers repeatedly tackled a blindfolded Deng, leading to the victim's injuries and rendering him unconscious.The fraternity brothers failed to call for help, delaying treatment for Deng, but instead collectively concealed and destroyed evidence and provided false and misleading information to officers investigating the cause of Deng's injuries.Assistant District Attorneys Kimberly Metzger and Michael Rakaczewski prosecuted this case.The Monroe County District Attorney's Office credits the efforts of Pocono Mountain Regional Police Detectives Cpl. Lucas Bray and Cpl. Robert Miller in their investigation of this case.