Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines yesterday after pleading guilty to two counts of unlawful acts in connection with liquor.

More serious charges of furnishing liquor to minors were dropped as part of an agreement between the prosecuting attorney and the fraternity to plead guilty to the two counts of unlawful acts relative to liquor.

Alpha Epsilon Pi, 240 E. Prospect Ave., will also be required to pay court costs. Judge David E. Grine presided over yesterday's sentencing hearing at Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte.

According to court documents, the charges stem from a Sept. 21 incident in which the State College Police Department stopped two female minors carrying two open containers of Natural Ice beer just east of 240 E. Prospect Ave. In written statements later given to police, the women said they were served beer at the fraternity without providing proof of their ages.

The statutes for furnishing liquor to minors and unlawful acts relative to liquor allow for organizations as well as individuals to be charged. However, the statute does not provide increased fines for organizations as opposed to individuals.

Prosecuting attorney Nathan Boob declined to comment on whether plea agreements are customary in cases such as Alpha Epsilon Pi's.

Boob also would not comment on the effectiveness of monetary fines as a deterrent to fraternities serving alcohol to minors.

In an e-mail message, Alpha Epsilon Pi President Mark Sablowsky declined to comment on the situation. Rich Shusman, who was the fraternity's president at the time of the incident, also declined to comment in an e-mail message.

After an investigation last semester, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) determined the two females were not at the fraternity that night, IFC President Andy Hackett said yesterday.

"They were not on the guest list, and the type of beer they had was not being served at the function that night," Hackett said.

IFC Vice President of Standards Jonathan Sagot said the IFC acted within the bounds of the constitution by imposing sanctions in September.

"The IFC handled this matter last semester. Other than that, I have no comment," Sagot said.

Sagot also did not clarify what the sanctions were.

Hackett said he does not remember if the IFC imposed sanctions on the fraternity.

Hackett added that he hopes a new State College Police Department program aimed at finding the providers of alcohol for underage students will help curb the amount of "false accusations" against fraternities.

"Police will be doing the extra work needed to find out the truth and end these types of frivolous charges," Hackett said. "Right now, we are a very identifiable group that is assumed guilty until proven innocent."