One of four men charged in Crystal Lake campground riot has charge dismissed

CRYSTAL LAKE — Charges have been dismissed against one of the four men accused of causing what was termed as a riot at a Crystal Lake campground last summer.

50-year-old Troy Julius of Buffalo Center, 36-year-old Joshua Murra of Buffalo Center, 44-year-old Troy Fleener of Thompson and 28-year-old Logan Swearingen of Thompson were accused of provoking a violent incident at Hanna’s Campground on July 17th.

The men are accused of being part of a group that got upset over comments made by two younger men about a female in the group. The two men were told to leave and they departed on a golf cart, but Julius, Murra, and Fleener later went looking for the two men. They allegedly went to another campsite and asked where the younger men were, with it starting an argument that escalated into Julius punching another man and breaking his jaw.

All four were charged with participating in a riot, a Class D felony, with Julius also being charged with willful injury resulting in serious injury, a Class C felony.

As we reported last week, a plea change hearing has been set for Julius on June 7th as he’s agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of assault causing serious injury, a Class D felony, with the participating in a riot charge being dismissed.

Fleener and Murra have each pleaded guilty to the amended charge of disorderly conduct. Murra was given a deferred judgment and was placed on one year probation, while Fleener was sentenced to two days in jail.

Swearingen was scheduled to be tried in the case on June 8th, but court records show that Hancock County prosecutors on Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss, saying that there is insufficient evidence to justify prosecution and that Swearingen agreed to pay the costs of this matter. District Judge Colleen Weiland approved the dismissal motion on Tuesday.