A former New Castle man who bought alcohol for a teenage drinking party in which a boy died will serve at least 30 days in Mercer County Jail.

Dominick R. Yeropoli, 23, of Concord, Calif., was sentenced to 30 days to 1 year in jail by Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Thomas R. Dobson.

Yeropoli pleaded guilty Oct. 7 to furnishing alcohol to minors, a misdemeanor. The party, held Jan. 18, took place at an apartment at 3206 Lamor Road, Hermitage.

Brian Daniel Grgurich, 17, of 1549 Catalina Place, died at the party from a mixture of alcohol and the pain-killer methadone, according to Mercer County Coroner J. Bradley McGonigle.

Grgurich, who was a Hickory High School senior, fell asleep on a bed at the party. When someone checked on him later, police said, he was dead.

Police found garbage bags full of more than 100 empty cans of beer and other alcoholic beverages and a half-empty gallon of vodka at the party scene.

Brian's father, Dale Grgurich, spoke before Dobson handed down the sentence.

"The effect on our family is measurable," Grgurich said. "We mark the time by before and after this happened."

Grgurich said he thought Yeropoli should be held responsible for the death of his son.

"The alcohol was direct cause of his death," Grgurich said. "My son was not the only one there. Many others, under age, were there, who could have been driving, and I don't want this to happen to anyone else."

Assistant District Attorney Bill Moder, who prosecuted the case, asked Dobson to go outside of the sentencing guidelines when he handed down the sentence.

"The one person there who should have been an adult was a catalyst for the tragedy," Moder said.

Brian's friends and family members cried while Yeropoli apologized for what he'd done.

"I apologize profusely to the family," Yeropoli said. "The pain I have, I will have for the rest of my life. I never meant to hurt nobody."

Yeropoli turned himself in, his court-appointed attorney Randall Hetrick said in asking Dobson not to punish his client too harshly.

"He returned from California, and he's cooperated with police in the investigation," Hetrick said

Dobson did hand down a stiffer sentence, he said, but one that was still within guidelines.

With alcohol, drugs and underage children at the party, Dobson said, Yeropoli should have done something.

"As an adult, you had a moral obligation," he said. "His parents will never recover. ... No amount of penalty will make a difference," he said.

Besides the jail term, Yeropoli was ordered to pay court costs and a fine of $1,000 and must perform 200 hours of community service. Yeropoli, who plans to return to California after his jail term, can perform the community service there, Dobson said.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at: ateutsch@sharonherald.com