Central Connecticut Office of Student Conduct Director Christopher Dukes has pled not guilty to charges filed against him including kidnapping and strangulation in the first-degree and threatening in the second-degree.

The incident occurred on April 25, where Dukes allegedly grabbed his estranged wife in a chokehold before bringing her to the basement of their Hartford residence, binding her with duct tape, punching and threatening to kill her, according to an incident report obtained by The Recorder.

Dukes’ lawyer, Anthony Spinella, confirmed that the victim of the incident is the defendant’s estranged wife.

The incident took place in a single residence in Hartford just after midnight. When the officer arrived at the scene, he observed the victim run “barefooted in a robe” towards him in “a panicked state,” according to an incident report obtained by The Recorder.

Dukes’ estranged wife allegedly noticed several pre-cut strips of duct tape in the basement of the Hartford residence. She later overheard a phone call between Dukes and his mother, where he allegedly told his mother that he had gone too far. This phone call is what the victim believes to be the reason Dukes released her from the basement, according to the report.

Dukes was granted a continuance at the Hartford Superior Court on Aug. 22 to Aug. 28, where he will be tested to see if his DNA matches the DNA found on an alleged piece of used duct tape at the Hartford residence. Spinella, from Barry, Barrall and Spinella, LLC, informed that the DNA results will take about a month to come back from the lab.

“I think [the DNA test] will start the process for the big step [in the trial],” Spinella said.

Dukes sought and received his first continuance at the court hearing on Monday, April 30, with the agreement that he surrender 11 firearms, two of which were unregistered, and complies with GPS monitoring, according to court records.

He was released back in April after posting $450,000 bail.

The university placed Dukes on administrative leave following the incident.

Dukes makes $113,000 a year as the director of the Office of Student Conduct at Central. He has worked for the university since 1996, a spokeswoman for the university said.

“We have taken measures to ensure services and support offered to our students through the Office of Student Conduct continue and that our campus remains a safe environment for all,” Dr. Toro said in a press release back in May.

In addition to the kidnapping and strangulation charges, Dukes was charged with third-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace and risk of injury to a child, according to court documents obtained by The Recorder.

Dukes’ lawyer informed that he will continue to plead not guilty until he receives a plea bargain.

“Right now, no offer has been made to us, nor do I know if my client is willing to accept any offer,” Spinella said. “It’s more of a procedural thing than anything else. It [pleading not guilty] really has no impact on how the case proceeds.”

“If some plea bargain comes along that my client wants to accept, then we’ll change our plan,” Spinella said. “Usually, these things take years. In Chris’ case, I would assume the trial, if we are going to have one, will be in the next six months, but that’s completely up to the judge.”

Dukes and his estranged wife are waiting for their divorce to be finalized, which was filed in May after the incident took place, according to court records.