KITTANNING — The third of four men charged in last year’s beating death of a Butler County man outside a Kittanning bar pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge in the case.

By pleading, Anthony M. Bove, 20, of Kittanning avoided a trial in Armstrong County Court. Jury selection had been set to begin this morning.

Prosecutors, in exchange for the guilty plea, withdrew felony charges of homicide and aggravated assault.

Under state law, the maximum penalty for involuntary manslaughter is 5 years in prison. The standard-range sentence, however, is 3 to 12 months. A sentencing date was not immediately scheduled.

State police said Bove was one of three men who kicked or jumped on James Sullivan, 39, of Donegal Township after Sullivan was knocked out by a sucker punch delivered by a fourth man, during a 2013 St. Patrick’s Day brawl outside the Wick City Saloon.

Two other men — Dennis Andrew Rosenberger, 29, and Otilio Cosme, 45, both of Ford City — previously pleaded guilty in the case and have already been sentenced to jail time.

Keith A. Brison, 34, of Kittanning, who also is charged in Sullivan’s death, is still awaiting trial.

Prosecutors said Rosenberger sucker-punched Sullivan, who was knocked to the pavement and rendered unconscious. Moments later, Bove and the others allegedly jumped on and kicked the defenseless Sullivan.

The victim was pronounced dead less than 90 minutes later at ACMH Hospital in East Franklin Township.

An autopsy determined that he suffered two potentially fatal injuries — an injury to his skull and a severed vein in his stomach, which caused massive internal bleeding,

Rosenberger in July pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 3 to 6 years in state prison.

Cosme in August pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in prison.

Jury selection for Brison, meanwhile, is scheduled to begin Jan. 12.

Phone calls to Bove’s attorney, Linda Ziembicki, and Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi were not immediately returned this morning.