BREAKING NEWS-11:45AM

FEDERAL INDICTMENTS

A FEDERAL GRAND JURY HAS RETURNED MULTIPLE INDICTMENTS RELATING TO THE SHENANDOAH BEATING CASE FROM 2008. DERRICK DONCHAK AND BRANDON PIEKARSKY ARE CHARGED WITH A FEDERAL HATE CRIME FOR BEATING LUIS RAMIREZ WHILE SHOUTING RACIAL EPITHETS AT HIM ON JULY 12, 2008 AT A PLAYGROUND IN SHENANDOAH. THE INDICTMENT ALSO ALLEGES THAT DONCHAK, PIEKARSKY AND OTHERS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE SHENANDOAH POLICE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATED IN A SCHEME TO OBSTRUCT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE FATAL ASSAULT. DONCAHK IS CHARGED IN THREE ADDITIONAL COUNTS FOR CONSPIRING TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE AND RELATED OFFENSES.

THE SECOND INDICTMENT CHARGES SHENANDOAH POLICE CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR, LT. WILLIAM MOYER AND OFFICER JASON HAYES WITH CONSPIRING TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE DURING THE INVESTIGATION. MOYER IS ALSO CHARGED WITH WITNESS AND EVIDENCE TAMPERING, AND WITH LYING TO THE FBI.

A THIRD INDICTMENT CHARGES NESTOR AND CAPTAIN JAMIE GENNARINI WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS OF EXTORTION AND CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. FROM 2004 TO 2007, NESTOR ALLEGEDLY CONSPIRED TO EXTORT CASH PAYMENTS FROM SEVERAL ILLEGAL GAMBLING OPERATIONS IN THE SHENANDOAH AREA AND OBSTRUCTED THE INVESTIGATION OF THE EXTORTION SCHEME. THE INDICTMENT ALSO ALLEGES THAT ON MAY 17, 2007, NESTOR AND GENNARINI COMMITTED EXTORTION BY DEMANDING $2-THOUSAND-DOLLARS IN CASH FROM A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN AND HIS FAMILY IN EXCHANGE FOR RELEASING THE BUSINESSMAN FROM THEIR CUSTODY. ALL FACE SIGNIFICANT JAIL TIME IF CONVICTED ON THE COUNTS. THE POLICE OFFICERS WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY FEDERAL AGENTS THIS MORNING, ACCORDING TO ALEJANDRO MIYAR, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN WASHINGTON. PIEKARSKY AND DONCHAK ARE CURRENTLY HOUSED AT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON FROM THEIR SIMPLE ASSAULT CONVICTIONS EARLIER THIS YEAR PERTAINING TO THE RAMIREZ CASE.