ST. CLOUD, Minn. - One of two former Lake Park-Audubon girls basketball coaches accused of fondling two 17-year-old players in 2009 pleaded guilty Monday to misconduct of a public officer or employee.
Under a plea agreement, Andrew Patrick Schwan must serve a maximum of 10 days in jail, register as a predatory offender for 10 years and have no contact with the players, Assistant Stearns County Attorney Joshua Kannegieter said.
Schwan, 34, entered the guilty plea to the gross misdemeanor charge in Stearns County District Court in St. Cloud, where sentencing is set for Jan. 5 following a presentence investigation and psychosexual evaluation.
Schwan, who was the team's head coach, and Darrin Alan Myhre, 30, an assistant coach, were accused of giving the girls alcohol and fondling them Dec. 29, 2009, at a hotel in St. Cloud, where the team was staying while playing in a tournament in Upsala.
Schwan and Myhre resigned their positions as coaches and teachers at LP-A shortly after St. Cloud police began investigating the allegations on Feb. 8, 2010.
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About seven months later, prosecutors charged both men with felony fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and gross misdemeanor charges of misconduct of a public officer and furnishing alcohol to a minor. Schwan also faced a misdemeanor of furnishing tobacco to a minor.
Kannegieter said that as part of his guilty plea, Schwan had to acknowledge several allegations, including that he invited the victims to the coaches' hotel room, asked one of them to go into the room and get him a beer, engaged in a sexual conversation with both girls and exchanged text messages with one victim, including one in which he asked, "What's in it for me?"
Kannegieter said Schwan also acknowledged that one of the victims was invited outside with him where he provided her with tobacco; that on the way inside the hotel he touched her inappropriately in her "intimate parts"; that he offered one of the victims money to consume a shot of alcohol; and that, while wearing only boxer shorts, he inappropriately touched the victim in the area of her "intimate parts."
Schwan denied any sexual intent with the touching, Kannegieter said.
Schwan's attorney, Allan H. Caplan, did not return a message seeking comment. Schwan couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
Because Myhre's jury trial is slated to begin Dec. 12, Kannegieter said he couldn't discuss additional details of Schwan's case, but he said prosecutors had some goals heading in.
"We wanted to make sure that the fact basis here would vindicate the victims, that their story would have a chance to be told," he said.
Prosecutors believe Schwan's conviction will have negative implications on his teaching license, Kannegieter said, adding their aim was to ensure Schwan is never again in a position where something similar could happen.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528
