Pocono News Section

Shenandoah Cops, Teens Indicted on Federal Charges

Shenandoah Cops, Teens Indicted on Federal Charges - Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 1:45PM EST

Reported by: Eyewitness News
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 @ 01:45pm EST
SHENANDOAH - A federal grand jury has indicted four Shenandoah Police Officers on corruption charges and two Shenandoah men on hate crime charges related to the beating death case of Luis Ramirez, according to the Justice Department.

Shenandoah Police Chief Matthew Nestor, Lt. William Moyer, and Officer Jason Hayes are all charged with conspiring to obstruct justice in this investigation. They all face 20 years for each corruption charge and five years in prison for conspiring to obstruct justice. Moyer has also been charged with witness and evidence tampering, and with lying to the FBI. He could face an additional five years in prison if convicted on those charges.

The two men involved are Derrick Donchak and Brandon Piekarsky. Donchak and Piekarsky were both acquitted of the most serious charges early this year in Schuylkill County court relating to the beating death. They now face federal hate charges related to the beating death of Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

Donchak, Piekarsky, and the three aforementioned police officers are accused of scheming to obstruct the investigation into the federal assault. As a result, Donchak faces three additional counts for conspiring to obstruct justice and related offenses. Donchak faces 20 years in prison on each of the obstruction charges and an additional five years in prison for conspiring to obstruct justice.

"Violence motivated by bigotry and hate has no place in America, and yet it remains all too prevalent in many of our communities," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Department of Justice in a press release. "The Civil Rights Division stands ready to bring perpetrators of hate crimes to justice."

Chief Nestor and Captain Jamie Gennarini also face additional charges of extortion and civil rights violations. The Justice Department says Nestor tried to extort thousands of dollars from illegal gambling rings in May of this year. If convicted, they face a maximum of 20 years in prison on the extortion counts, and an additional penalty of up to 10 years for the conspiracy to violate civil rights.

The FBI wants to hear from anyone who may have information regarding alleged civil rights violations or public corruption in Schuylkill County. If you have information, you're asked to call FBI Special Agents Alan Jones or Anthony Cavallo at 610-433-6488.