PSU Frat Pledge Given 18 Drinks In 82 Minutes Before Death: DA

CENTRE COUNTY, PA — Twelve more Penn State fraternity brothers have been charged in connection with the death of a pledge in February after additional video from the scene was recovered by the FBI. Five of them are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault.

Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller announced the additional charges Monday. She said the video, taken from a camera in the basement of the Beta Theta Pi house, shows 18-year-old Timothy Piazza being served at least 18 drinks in an hour and 22 minutes.

Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers initially told law enforcement the basement surveillance camera was broken.

However, after later examining one of the surveillance boxes, State College Police determined the basement camera footage had actually been manually deleted just as authorities were about to take possession of the recording equipment, the Centre County District Attorney said.

FBI agents have been able to restore the video from the deleted hard drive. The footage "clearly depicts a continuation of the hazing activity previously captured upstairs during the gauntlet," Miller said. According to authorities, "the gauntlet" was a hazing activity that involved drinking stations intended to make pledges consume alcohol rapidly.

Piazza, a sophomore from New Jersey, took a fatal fall after becoming heavily intoxicated at the party on Feb. 2. No one called for help until late the next morning, and Piazza died Feb. 4.

The recovered video captures brothers giving beer to the pledges at the beer pong station, then immediately handing them beers to "shotgun" together as a pledge class. Shotgunning a beer involves piercing a hole in the aluminum can so as to make the liquid flow out quickly.

"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," a statement from the Centre County District Attorney's office said.

Speaking during the press conference, Piazza's father said his son was a wonderful person who just wanted to find friendship and camaraderie by joining the fraternity. "Instead he was killed at the hands of those he sought friendship from," said James Piazza.

His father said previous claims from the defense that no one knew what really happened at the fraternity house that night because the basement camera wasn't working are no longer valid.

"Guess what guys, now we know," James Piazza said.

Footage from the upstairs of the house the night of the party has already been accessed by law enforcement, and it was played in court during an excruciating preliminary hearing this summer. Piazza's parents left the courtroom before the prosecution began airing the footage, which showed Piazza rolling in pain on the floor in the early hours of the morning.

The most serious charges against the fraternity brothers had been dismissed after that five-day preliminary hearing. Magisterial District Judge Allen Sinclair dismissed all counts of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault. But in October, the charges were re-filed against 11 Beta Theta Pi brothers.

The following Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers have been charged with involuntary manslaughter, assault and related charges as of Nov. 13:

• Joshua Kurczewski of Erie, Pa.: Involuntary manslaughter; aggravated assault; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Ryan Burke of Boalsburg, Pa.: Involuntary manslaughter; aggravated assault; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Jonathan Kanzler of Coopersburg, Pa: Involuntary manslaughter; aggravated assault; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor; consumption of alcohol by a minor
• Bohan Song of Wayne, Pa.: Involuntary manslaughter; aggravated assault; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor; consumption of alcohol by a minor
• Aiden O'Brien of West Chester, Pa. : Involuntary manslaughter; aggravated assault; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor; consumption of alcohol by a minor

The following additional Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers are now facing hazing and related charges in light of the new videotape:

• Joseph Ems: Hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Brian Gelb : Hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Reggie Goeke: Hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Mike Fernandez: Hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Donald Prior: Hazing; furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Braxton Becker: Tampering with evidence; obstructing administration of law; hindering apprehension

In addition to the newly-charged defendants, the following previously charged Beta brothers are facing the following additional criminal charges based on their actions in the basement video:

• Luke Visser: Furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Gary Dibilio: Furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Nick Kubera: Furnishing alcohol to minors; unlawful acts relative to liquor
• Michael Bonatucci: Furnishing alcohol to minors

RELATED: Penn State Frat House Death: Fast Drinking, Slow Death, Frantic Coverup In Grand Jury Timeline

Watch Now: New Footage Reveals Timothy Piazza Given 18 Drinks In 80 Minutes

Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, via Google