Preliminary Hearings Rescheduled for Fraternity Members in Piazza Death

The preliminary hearings for 18 former members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity facing charges related to the death of Penn State student Timothy Piazza have been rescheduled for June 12 in Bellefonte.

The hearings were initially scheduled for Wednesday, but the date change is unsurprising. Continuances are common and coordinating 18 hearings would require some logistical maneuvering. Centre County Central Court hearings are normally held on Wednesday, but the hearings for the fraternity members will be held on a Monday.

Beta Theta Pi and the former members are facing a total of 1,098 charges after a grand jury investigation into Piazza’s death. Piazza, 19, of Lebanon, N.J., died on Feb. 4 after falling head first down the stairs and then multiple times throughout the night of Feb. 2 and early morning hours of Feb. 3 during a bid acceptance party at Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Piazza was heavily intoxicated at the time of his fall after consuming large amounts of alcohol in an initiation event dubbed ‘the Gauntlet,’ according to a grand jury presentment.

Piazza first fell just before 11 p.m. on Feb. 2 and prosecutors say video and testimony showed fraternity members were aware Piazza was in need of medical attention but no one called for help until 10:48 a.m. on Feb. 3. He died on Feb. 4 at Hershey Medical Center after doctors determined he suffered a non-recoverable brain injury and life-threatening spleen injury.

After Piazza was taken to the hospital, fraternity members allegedly made a concerted effort to hide evidence about what had occurred, deleting text and group app messages and ordering pledges to get rid of alcohol in the house and to keep quiet about what happened. Prosecutors also allege a history of hazing over several semesters.

On May 5, shortly after a grand jury presentment recommending charges was issued, fraternity members Brendan Young, Daniel Casey, Jonah Neuman, Nick Kubera, Michael Bonatucci, Gary Dibileo, Luke Visser and Joe Sala were charged and arraigned. Each faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and simple assault. 

Young, the fraternity president, and Casey, the pledge master, each face 50 counts of recklessly endangering another person, 50 counts of hazing, 48 counts of furnishing alcohol to minors, 48 counts of unlawful acts relative to liquor and one count of tampering with evidence.

Neuman, Kubera, Bonatucci, Dibileo, Visser and Sala each face 14 counts of recklessly endangering another person, 14 counts of hazing, 12 counts of furnishing alcohol to minors and 12 counts of unlawful acts relative to liquor.

All eight were released on $100,000 unsecured bail.

Also arraigned that day were Craig Heimer and Parker Jax Yochim, who were each charged with 14 counts of recklessly endangering another person, 14 counts of hazing, 12 counts of furnishing alcohol to minors and 12 counts of unlawful acts relative to liquor. They were both released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

On May 9, eight others were arraigned. Michael Angelo Schiavone and Lars Kenyon were each charged with 14 counts of recklessly endangering another person, 14 counts of hazing, 12 counts of furnishing alcohol to minors and 12 counts of unlawful acts relative to liquor.

Ed Gilmartin, Ryan McCann, Lucas Rockwell, Braxton Becker and Ryan Foster, were each charged with one count of tampering with evidence, and Joseph Ems, was charged with recklessly endangering another person.

All eight were released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

Beta Theta Pi fraternity was charged with involuntary manslaughter, 50 counts of hazing, 48 counts of furnishing alcohol to minors and 48 counts of unlawful acts relative to liquor.

Penn State permanently banned the fraternity in March.