On July 12, 2008 in Shenandoah, PA (near Pottsville) - 3 teenagers, Derrick Donchak 19 and Brandon Piekarsky 17 (along with Colin Walsh, 18 who took a plead deal), severely beat the life out of 25yo Luis Ramirez (husband, father of 2 children and an undocumented Mexican immigrant). A 4th teen, Brian Scully, was tried in juvenile court.
An all-white jury in the case against the teens found the two men NOT GUILTY of
3rd degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and
assault with a deadly weapon. Only a guilty count of assault (=23
months in prison max) which would likely not have any jail time because
the teens had no criminal record. Link
Such a sweet deal for being young, stupid and white!
An all white jury from the same town, where youtube video and interviews showed people championing the beating and claiming “Mexicans” needed to get out of their town, found Ramirez’s assailants innocent of all but the lesser charges “due to a lack of evidence.” The only people there to witness the fatal blows were the accused. Nor, given the opportunistic nature of the crime, did they outline a plan in writing. However, any medical examiner could and did say that the injuries Ramirez sustained in the beating killed him. And while the multiple defendents told conflicting stories, no doubt designed to obfuscate who did what when, no one argued they were not there and they did not participate. Instead, the defense argued Ramirez attacked them; a supposition that would mean a young father, took time out of his walk home, to attack 4 members of a football team . . . Apparently, for the residents of Pottsville PA, the lives of white youth willing to beat a man to death while calling him racial slurs are more important than the lives of Latinos or their families. Link
The injuries to Luis Ramirez was so severe that he never gain consciousness and died 2 days later.
The Defense team played the "Blame the Victim". Their verdict: a young father took time out of his walk home to "attack" 4 teenage boys who were members of their high school football team. Yeah - that sounds logical!
This was back in May 2009.
Today - we now know how these boys got a sweet deal and a slap on the wrist! They had help from the police department. Four members of the Shenandoah Police Department obstructed the investigation, tampered with evidence and made false statements to the FBI.
Police Chief Matthew Nestor
Police Capt. Jamie Gennarini
Police Lt. William Moyer
Officer Jason Hayes
Shenandoah Police Chief Matthew Nestor and two other officers are charged with conspiring to obstruct justice in the Ramirez investigation. Nestor and a fourth police officer are named in a third indictment and charged with extortion and civil rights violations related to police corruption, the Justice Department said.
Nestor, police Lt. William Moyer and Officer Jason Hayes are charged with conspiring to obstruct justice, with Moyer facing additional charges of witness and evidence tampering and making false statements to the FBI, authorities said.
At the time of Ramirez's death, Hayes was dating Piekarsky's mother, according to the indictment, and Moyer's son was a high school freshman who played football with the youths involved in the attack.
Nestor, Moyer and Hayes intentionally failed to "memorialize or record" statements made by Piekarsky about the incident, the indictment said, and "wrote false and misleading official reports that memorialized false statements by the persons involved in the racially motivated assault ... and that intentionally omitted information about the true nature of the assault and the investigation." Link
White protecting White! Forget Justice, Bigotry Rules!
Murder is only a crime when its against one of their own. If you're not the right race in these white towns, you are screwed.
It is cases like these is why the public distrust the badge. Shame to this Police Department!
Finally -
Justice for Luis Ramirez!
In the third, unrelated, indictment, Nestor and police Capt. Jamie Gennarini, described by the Justice Department as Nestor's second in command, are charged with multiple counts of extortion and civil rights violations. Prosecutors allege in that indictment that from 2004 through 2007, Nestor "conspired to extort cash payments from several illegal gambling operations in the Shenandoah area and obstructed the investigation of the extortion scheme." Nestor and Gennarini demanded a $2,000 cash payment from a local businessman and his family in May 2007 in exchange for releasing the businessman from custody, according to the indictment.
Nestor, Moyer and Hayes each face up to 20 years in prison on each of the obstruction charges if convicted, authorities said, along with an additional five years for conspiring to obstruct justice. Moyer faces an additional five years if convicted of making false statements to the FBI. Also, Nestor and Gennarini face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of the extortion counts if convicted, and a maximum sentence of 10 years for conspiring to violate civil rights.
A hearing in the case was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
"The FBI wants to hear from anyone who may have information regarding alleged civil rights violations or public corruption in Schuylkill County," the Justice Department said Tuesday. Those with information can contact the Allentown, Pennsylvania, FBI office
As for the 2 boys, Brandon Piekarsky and Derrick Donchak (now 18 and 19) - Federal Hate Crime have been charged against these 2 animals. May they rot in jail for life. Link
May this be the poster child of racist teenagers committing hate crimes:
Forever handcuffed and locked up - to never see the light of freedom!!!
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