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Police, other officials cautious in reaction to indictments
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share thisBy peter E. Bortner
Local police officers reacted cautiously, if at all, to the Dec. 15 announcement of the indictment of four Shenandoah policemen on federal charges.
"Right now, at this point, we're staying out of it," said Adam J. Bernodin Jr., Ashland police chief and president of North Schuylkill Lodge 25 of the Fraternal Order of Police. "We're not getting involved."
Shenandoah police Chief Matthew R. Nestor, Lt. William Moyer and Officer Jason Hayes have been indicted for allegedly trying to obstruct justice in connection with the investigation of the fatal beating in July 2008 of Luis Eduardo Ramirez Zavala, 25, of Shenandoah.
Nestor and borough police Capt. Jamie Gennarini have been indicted for allegedly trying to extort money from an illegal gambling operation in Shenandoah.
The cases have been scheduled for separate trials in February in U.S. District Court.
Nestor is in prison awaiting trial, while the other three have been placed on home confinement with electronic monitoring before their trials.
Two of Nestor's fellow police chiefs, Anthony Kuklinski of Auburn and Edward Tarantelli of Butler Township, declined to discuss the Shenandoah situation.
Kuklinski said he had not worked with the Shenandoah police officers, while Tarantelli said he had.
Schuylkill County District Attorney James P. Goodman, whose office had alerted federal authorities to the possible problems with Shenandoah police during the investigation of Ramirez's death, said the indictments should not tarnish people's views of other Schuylkill County police officers, including the three who still are in the borough department.
"The actions of these officers shouldn't reflect on the remaining officers in the borough or the other officers in Schuylkill County," Goodman said. "We have a lot of good police officers."
Officials of statewide law enforcement organizations have been even more reticent about offering comments on the situation.
Amy Rosenberry, executive director of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, Harrisburg, did not reply to numerous phone calls since the indictments seeking comment from the organization.
Daniel Zakraysek, recording secretary of the Fraternal Order of Police Pennsylvania State Lodge, Harrisburg, also did not return numerous telephone calls since the indictments seeking comment from his organization on the Shenandoah situation.
Derrick M. Donchak, 19, of Shenandoah, and Brandon J. Piekarsky, 18, of Shenandoah Heights, are also in prison awaiting a federal trial in connection with the Ramirez beating. Each is charged with a hate crime, while Donchak also is charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
Federal authorities allege the two were motivated by race in participating in the beating of Ramirez on July 12, 2008, on a Shenandoah street. Ramirez, who was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, died two days later at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.
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