COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
102 S. Allegheny St.
Courthouse, Room 404
Bellefonte, PA 16823

STACY PARKS MILLER
District Attorney

Telephone (814) 355-6735
Victim/Witness (814) 548-1107
FAX (814) 355-6756

MARK S. SMITH
First Assistant District Attorney

November 13, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12 NEW BETA THETA PI BROTHERS CHARGED
AFTER DELETED BASEMENT VIDEO
RECOVERED; 5 NEW DEFENDANTS FACING
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES
Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller announces
additional criminal charges against Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers as a
result of the investigation into deleted surveillance video from the
basement of the fraternity house on the night of Timothy J. Piazza’s death
while pledging at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house on February 2, 2017.
When law enforcement initially evaluated the video footage,
fraternity brothers led police to believe that the basement cameras had
been inoperable on Bid Acceptance Night. However, after later examining
one of the DVR surveillance boxes, State College Police uncovered
evidence that the basement camera footage had actually been manually
deleted just as State College Police were poised to take possession of the
recording equipment.
State College Police sent the box to the FBI, whose agents were able to

 restore the video from the deleted hard drive. The basement video clearly
depicts a continuation of the hazing activity previously captured upstairs
during the gauntlet. The video captures brothers furnishing beer to the
pledges at the beer pong gauntlet station and immediately thereafter
handing them beers to perform another shotgun together as a pledge class.
On the video, fraternity brothers approach the pledges with alcohol,
requiring them to drink wine, beer, and vodka. In fact, on video, Tim
Piazza does not obtain his own alcohol at any point—rather, every drink
consumed was provided to him by a fraternity brother. Based upon the
video, Tim Piazza was furnished with at least 18 drinks in 1 hour and 22
minutes.
As a result of the basement video’s depiction of the continued alcohol
hazing, charges have been filed today against the following defendants:
1. Joshua Kurczewski
• Involuntary Manslaughter, 18 Pa.C.S. 2504
• Aggravated Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2702(a)(1)
• Simple Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2701(a)(1)
• Reckless Endangering Another Person, 18 Pa.C.S. 2705
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(10 counts)
(8 counts)
(8 counts)

2. Ryan Burke
• Involuntary Manslaughter, 18 Pa.C.S. 2504
• Aggravated Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2702(a)(1)
• Simple Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2701(a)(1)
• Reckless Endangering Another Person, 18 Pa.C.S. 2705
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(4 counts)
(4 counts)
(4 counts)

3. Jonathan Kanzler
• Involuntary Manslaughter, 18 Pa.C.S. 2504
• Aggravated Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2702(a)(1)
• Simple Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2701(a)(1)
• Reckless Endangering Another Person, 18 Pa.C.S. 2705

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)

 •
•
•
•

Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(2 counts)
(2 counts)
(2 counts)

Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor, 18 Pa.C.S. 6308

(1 count)

4. Bohan Song
• Involuntary Manslaughter, 18 Pa.C.S. 2504
• Aggravated Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2702(a)(1)
• Simple Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2701(a)(1)
• Reckless Endangering Another Person, 18 Pa.C.S. 2705
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493
• Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor, 18 Pa.C.S. 6308

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(3 counts)
(3 counts)
(3 counts)

5. Aiden O’Brien
• Involuntary Manslaughter, 18 Pa.C.S. 2504
• Aggravated Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2702(a)(1)
• Simple Assault, 18 Pa.C.S. 2701(a)(1)
• Reckless Endangering Another Person, 18 Pa.C.S. 2705
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493
• Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor, 18 Pa.C.S. 6308

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)

(1 count)

(1 count)

6. Joseph Ems
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)

7. Brian Gelb
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(6 counts)
(5 counts)
(5 counts)

8. Patrick Jackson
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(2 counts)
(2 counts)
(2 counts)

 9. Reggie Goeke
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)

10. Mike Fernandez
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(2 counts)
(2 counts)
(2 counts)

11. Donald Prior
• Hazing, 23 P.S. 5353
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(4 counts)
(3 counts)
(3 counts)

12. Braxton Becker
• Tampering with Evidence, 18 Pa.C.S. 4910
• Obstructing Administration of Law, 18 Pa.C.S. 5101
• Hindering Apprehension, 18 Pa.C.S. 5105(3)

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)

In addition to these newly charged defendants, the following previously
charged Beta brothers now face additional criminal charges based on their
actions on basement video:
13. Luke Visser
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(11 counts)
(11 counts)

14. Gary Dibilio
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(5 counts)
(5 counts)

15. Nick Kubera
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

(2 counts)
(2 counts)

16. Michael Bonatucci
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1

(2 counts)

 •

Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493

17. Parker Yochim
• Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, 18 Pa.C.S. 6310.1
• Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, 47 P.S. 4-493
•

Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor, 18 Pa.C.S. 6308

(2 counts)

(1 count)
(1 count)
(1 count)