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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A former LSU student was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison, but a judge suspended all but 2½ years of the term in the 2017 alcohol-related hazing death of 18-year-old fraternity pledge Max Gruver.

Matthew Naquin, an ex-Phi Delta Theta member, also was sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service and must pay a $1,000 fine, The Advocate reported.

Just days after Naquin was found guilty, two other former LSU students and ex-Phi Delta Theta members who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor hazing and testified at Naquin’s trial were sentenced to 30 days in jail. Those jail terms for Sean-Paul Gott, 22, of Lafayette, and Naquin’s former LSU roommate, Ryan Isto, 20, of Butte, Montana, were the maximum allowed under the law at the time of Gruver’s death.

Gruver, of Roswell, Georgia, near Atlanta had been at LSU a month when he died of alcohol poisoning in what authorities have described as a hazing ritual at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house. He and other pledges were told to chug 190-proof liquor the night of Sept. 13, 2017, if they incorrectly answered questions about the fraternity or were unable to recite the Greek alphabet.

Gruver died the following morning. His blood-alcohol level was 0.495%, which is more than six times the legal limit to drive in Louisiana. An autopsy also detected THC, the chemical found in marijuana, in Gruver’s system.

Another former LSU student charged with hazing, Patrick Forde, 22, of Westwood, Massachusetts, also testified as a prosecution witness. Prosecutors said they’ll decide later whether to prosecute him. His next court date is Dec. 5.

Naquin has also been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly deleting hundreds of files from his phone during the criminal investigation and after a search warrant had been issued for the phone. He has not been tried on that charge.

Last year, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law the Max Gruver Act and other anti-hazing bills meant to curb hazing and increase penalties. Gruver’s parents were instrumental in the passage of the act bearing his name.

Under the law, people who participate in hazing activities that result in death when the victim’s blood alcohol level is at least 0.30% would face up to five years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. Hazing that doesn’t lead to death would be subject to fines of up to $1,000 and six months in prison. Organizations — fraternities, sororities, associations, social clubs, athletic teams and similar groups on college or high school campuses — that knowingly allow hazing could also face fines of up to $10,000.

Phi Delta Theta has been banned from LSU’s campus until at least 2033 amid the probe into events leading to Gruver’s death.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The federal agencies that make and enforce offshore oil and gas leases say they’ll encourage new wells in shallow Gulf of Mexico waters by allowing some reduced-royalty or even royalty-free production if owners can prove they need it.

Some $20 billion worth of oil and gas may go untapped without changes described in a report issued Tuesday, according to the heads of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which makes the leases, and the Bureau of Safety and Enforcement.

The number of wells drilled in shallow water has fallen 89 percent over the past 10 years, “and approximately 100 platforms a year are being removed with no new platforms being installed,” a joint press release said.

The Center for American Progress and an environmental group, the Center for Biological Diversity, both called the changes a giveaway to the petroleum industry.

“These companies signed a contract with taxpayers and this is giving them a way out, to pay less than what is owed to taxpayers,” said Matt Lee-Ashley, senior director of environmental strategy and communications at the Center for American Progress.

Recent shallow-water leases have royalties of 12.5%, the legal minimum, with an 18.75% royalty for deepwater leases — those in more than 200 meters (656 feet) of water. Those signed earlier, in either area, can have either of those rates or 16.67%.

The agencies are providing a new, bigger potential break for shallow-water wells. In addition, the enforcement bureau can now consider requests for a break on royalties on new drilling rather than only on an entire lease. The rules take effect immediately, safety and enforcement spokeswoman Eileen Angelico said.

She said “specialty royalty relief” is nothing new but has been a little-used program. She wouldn’t speculate on future use.

The big change is a larger interest rate, called a discount rate, used to compute the value of expected income and spending for shallow-water wells. The previous rate was 15% for all wells; the new 25% rate applies only to those in shallow water.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) had asked Interior Secretary David Bernhardt in early September for royalty relief and other policies to encourage shallow-water drilling.

“Increased shallow water drilling increases production, which increases federal royalty payments, and creates more American and Louisiana jobs,” he said at the time. He did not return a call Wednesday for comment but was among several senators and congress members who contributed enthusiastic comments for the federal press release.