Penn State student contests riot-related charge

By Mike Dawson mdawson@centredaily.com — State College - Centre Daily Times

Posted: 12:01am on Jan 12, 2012; Modified: 10:55am on Jan 12, 2012

  • Other defendants waive preliminary hearings

    The following defendants waived their rights to preliminary hearings on Wednesday on the following charges:

    • Jonathan Amt, 21, of Doylestown, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct

    • Myles W. Billard, 19, failure to disperse

    • Christopher Carmody, 18, of Darien, Conn., riot, theft, receiving stolen property

    • Daniel Combs, 18, of Orefield, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief

    •Philip Dickert, 20, of State College, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief

    •Michael Dillon, 19, of State College, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct

    • Nicole Gordon, 20, of Roslyn Heights, N.Y., criminal mischief, disorderly conduct

    • Mark Herr, 19, of Woodland Hills, Calif., disorderly conduct, obstructing highways

    • Amanda Hollingsworth, 20, of Middletown, N.J., disorderly conduct, obstructing highways

    • Nicholas Koroly, 23, of State College, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct

    • Tucker Korus, 22, of Centennial, Colo., failure to disperse, disorderly conduct

    • Thomas McInerney, 19, of Bohemia, N.Y., failure to disperse, disorderly conduct

    • Michael Orlando, 21, of Broomall, failure to disperse, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, dangerous burning, public drunkenness

    • Zachary Perkins, 21, of Williamsport, failure to disperse

    • Brendan Taylor, 20, of State College, riot, propulsion of missiles, disorderly conduct

    • Garth Todd, 20, of West Pittston, failure to disperse

    • Adam Tusing, 21, of State College, failure to disperse

    • Colin Vanderhorn, 18, of Darien, Conn., aggravated assault, riot, theft of property, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct

    • Cory Zepp, 21, of Birdsboro, failure to disperse

BELLEFONTE — Two police officers testified Wednesday that they warned people to leave the downtown area during a Nov. 9 riot and arrested those who didn’t heed the order.

The testimony came from State College police officers Martin Hanes and Michael Pieniazek during a preliminary hearing for student Matthew Maser, 20, of Newtown Square, on a misdemeanor charge of failure to disperse.

Maser was one of more than 20 students who were scheduled for preliminary hearings Wednesday on charges stemming from their alleged involvement in the riot that developed in downtown State College after the firing of football coach Joe Paterno. But Maser was the only one to contest the charge at a preliminary hearing; the other defendants each waived their right to a hearing.

The charge against Maser was bound over to Centre County Court for possible trial by District Judge Allen Sinclair.

The officers told the judge they saw Maser using his cellphone on McAlister Street. They said Maser was told to leave and the officers moved on. When they returned, they said they found Maser was still there, so they took his driver’s license and informed him he’d be charged by mail.

“I personally told him, ‘You need to leave the area,’ ” Hanes said.

Maser’s attorney, Ron McGlaughlin, asked the judge to dismiss the charge because his client’s name was not mentioned in the affidavit of probable cause.

McLaughlin called Pieniazek as a witness because Pieniazek was the officer who filed the charges. Prosecutor Sean McGraw objected, telling Sinclair the testimony went to discovery and wasn’t appropriate in a preliminary hearing. But the judge overruled.

Among the other defendants who waived their charges to court, two are facing counts of felony riot for their alleged involvement in overturning a WTAJ news van and causing more than $180,000 in damages. Police said Justin Strine, 21, of Hummelstown, and Taleran Cerdagalan, 18, of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., were pictured in YouTube videos of the incident.

Strine also faces a failure to disperse charge after police said they warned him five times to leave the downtown area.

In all, police charged 45 people in the riot.

Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said the students could face disciplinary measures. Those found to have committed severe offenses could face “some sort of separation from the university,” she said. Those with lesser violations might see disciplinary probation or possibly a transcript notation, she said.

Mike Dawson can be reached at 231-4616.

Order a reprint

Top Jobs

View All Top Jobs

Find a Home

161 Banyan Dr.
$664,900 State College
5 bed, 5 full bath. A truly unique property with over 5500...
VIEW ALL

Find a Car

Search New Cars
New Car Buying Guide Green Guide Sell Your Car
Ads by Yahoo!