Man pleads guilty to pretending to be Dakota James

A man who pretended to be a missing Duquesne University student as part of a cruel prank pleaded guilty Friday.

Nathaniel Dunlap used a food-ordering system and pretended he was Dakota James.

While the search was ongoing for James, Dunlap claimed he was the missing man and said he was being held hostage in a Shaler woman’s basement.

James, 23, was reported missing after leaving a bar with friends Jan. 25. His body was found more than a month later in the Ohio River in Robinson Township. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death an accidental drowning,

• Dakota James cause of death released
• VIDEO: News conference on Dakota James 
• VIDEO: Body found in Ohio River in Robinson Township 
• VIDEO: Search volunteers react to discovery of Dakota James' body
• Search crews, volunteers spend weekend looking for Dakota James
• RAW: Crews search Ohio River in Beaver County for Dakota James 
• City doing everything it can to find missing North Side man
• Police investigate kidnapping post about missing N. Side man, determine it's a hoax
• Family members offer reward for missing North Side man
• Body of Dakota James found in Ohio River in Robinson Township
• Medical examiner: Cause of death for Dakota James pending toxicology results
• RAW VIDEO: Parents of Dakota James speak at press conference
• Dakota James disappearance: Timeline of events

Cox Media Group