3 Fraternity Brothers Sentenced to Jail for Penn State Hazing Death

Updated 4:22 AM ET, Wed April 3, 2019

Four Penn State University fraternity brothers have now been sentenced in relation with the death of a hazing ritual pledge, ending the life of Timothy Piazza. The three will be receiving jail time, according to an inside source.

Joseph Sala, Luke Visser, Joshua Kurczewski and Michael Bonatucci, who are former members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, was recently sentenced on Tuesday in Centre County Court.

Each member pleaded guilty to the hazing-related charges which were related to the February 2017 death of 19-year-old Timothy Piazza, a sophomore at Penn State.

Piazza, who was new to the fraternity, was pledging the Beta Theta Pi fraternity ritual, drinking 18 drinks in 82 minutes as part of a hazing ritual requirements. Piazza later fell down a flight of stairs leading down into the fraternity house basement. The fraternity members waited 12 hours to call 911 and report the incident. Piazza ended up dying from a traumatic brain injury because of the fall, according to court records and testimony.

According to a source, Visser was sentenced to six months in jail and two years of probation. Bonatucci was sentenced to 30 to 60 days in jail and a year of probation. Kurczewski pleaded guilty to one count for providing alcohol to minors in which he received three to nine months in jail and one year of probation. Sala received three to six months of house arrest and a total of two years of probation. Additionally, the men must also pay fines and perform community service, according to the inside source.