Jury acquits man accused of making false reports after Phi Kappa Theta blaze | Centre Daily Times

The County

Man accused of false reports

to State College police acquitted

A man accused of making false reports to State College police last April was acquitted Monday.

Pawel Chrzanowski, 21, of Newtown, was found not guilty on charges of unsworn falsification to authorities and making false reports to law enforcement. A third charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution was dismissed by Senior Judge J. Michael Williamson, who heard the trial.

Steve Trialonas, Chrzanowski’s attorney, said he and his client appreciate the jury’s time, attention and their ability to apply the law to facts during the trial.

“Keeping an open mind throughout a criminal trial is imperative to the American system of justice,” Trialonas said.

The charges stemmed after a fire at the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house in State College. Chrzanowski was then president of the fraternity, according to court documents. Police said that Chrzanowski provided verbal and written statements to officers falsely implicating two other men after the fire, according to the criminal complaint.

“We accept the jury’s verdict and thank them for their service,” District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said of the trial in a release.