Daniel Casey, the former vice president and pledge master of Beta Theta Pi at Penn State University, was sentenced on October 1, 2024, to two to four months in prison for his role in the 2017 hazing death of 19-year-old pledge Timothy Piazza. Casey and fraternity president Brendan Young were the last two defendants to face criminal punishment in a case that stretched more than seven years and reshaped hazing laws in Pennsylvania.
What Casey Was Sentenced To
On July 30, 2024, Casey pleaded guilty in Centre County Court to 14 misdemeanor counts of hazing and one misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment.1WPSU. Former Penn State Students Plead Guilty in 2017 Deadly Hazing Incident Young entered the same plea.
Two months later, Judge Brian Marshall imposed matching sentences on both men: two to four months in prison, followed by three years of probation and community service. Both were ruled eligible for work release. Young was additionally ordered to pay a $500 fine, pay restitution to the Piazza family in an amount to be set later, and abstain from alcohol during probation.26ABC. Former Penn State Students Brendan Young, Daniel Casey Sentenced3The Daily Collegian. Two Former Fraternity Leaders Sentenced in Timothy Piazza Death
Casey, 27 at sentencing and originally from Ronkonkoma, New York, was given an October 7, 2024, report date to the Centre County Correctional Facility.4PennLive. Former Fraternity Leaders Sentenced in Penn State Hazing Death of Tim Piazza He made no public statement at or after sentencing, and his attorney, Steven P. Trialonas of the Mazza Law Group, did not respond to media requests for comment.5Newsday. Penn State Fraternity Hazing Timothy Piazza Sentencing Young, by contrast, told the court, “I especially regret not being more responsible and ensuring the safety of the pledges — especially Tim Piazza.”3The Daily Collegian. Two Former Fraternity Leaders Sentenced in Timothy Piazza Death
Why the Charges Were Misdemeanors
Prosecutors originally pursued much more serious counts. In May 2017, charges including involuntary manslaughter, hazing, and furnishing alcohol to minors were filed against 18 fraternity members.6The Daily Collegian. Parents of Timothy Piazza, Penn State Community Grapple Centre County Magisterial District Judge Allen Sinclair dismissed the involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault counts at the preliminary hearing stage in September 2017.
After the FBI recovered deleted security camera footage from the fraternity house that November, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office took over the prosecution and moved to reinstate involuntary manslaughter against five defendants, including Casey. Attorney General Josh Shapiro argued the five had “specific knowledge of Piazza’s fall at a time when medical intervention would have saved Tim’s life.”7USA Today. Timothy Piazza Case: Pennsylvania Attorney General Wants Manslaughter Charges In June 2018, Centre County Judge Pamela Ruest upheld the dismissal, agreeing with the defense that a magistrate’s decision to dismiss after a preliminary hearing was unappealable.8Onward State. Judge Denies Appeal of Beta Theta Pi Dismissed Involuntary Manslaughter Charges
Seventeen other fraternity brothers pleaded guilty to lesser charges between 2018 and 2019, receiving sentences that ranged from fines and probation to short jail terms, some of which Judge Marshall later converted to house arrest.6The Daily Collegian. Parents of Timothy Piazza, Penn State Community Grapple Casey and Young, the chapter’s top two officers, held out the longest; their cases were repeatedly delayed by pending appeals and court backlogs before the July 2024 pleas.
What Happened the Night Piazza Died
On the evening of February 2, 2017, Piazza, an engineering student and one of 14 pledges, attended a bid acceptance ceremony inside the Beta Theta Pi house that the brothers called “The Gauntlet.” He consumed at least 18 drinks in under two hours during an obstacle course-style initiation.9NBC Philadelphia. Penn State Timothy Piazza Death: Brendan Young, Daniel Casey Sentenced A grand jury later estimated his blood-alcohol level reached .36, nearly five times the legal limit.10CNN. Piazza Family Fraternity Settlement Penn State
Piazza fell repeatedly that night, including down a flight of basement stairs, suffering severe head and abdominal injuries. Brothers carried him upstairs, laid him on a couch, poured water on his face, and slapped him in an attempt to revive him. He kept trying to stand and kept falling until he stopped moving.11ABC News. Penn State Fraternity Brothers Sentenced in Pledge’s Hazing Death No one called 911 for roughly 12 hours. When emergency responders arrived the morning of February 3, Piazza was breathing heavily, had blood on his face, and his skin had turned grey. He was pronounced dead on February 4, about 29 hours after entering the house, from traumatic brain injuries.10CNN. Piazza Family Fraternity Settlement Penn State
The Civil Lawsuit Casey Still Faces
Casey’s criminal case is closed, but a federal civil suit filed by James and Evelyn Piazza in the U.S. Middle District Court is not. The original complaint named 28 former fraternity members and St. Moritz Security Services, bringing counts of negligence, battery, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, with damages sought in excess of $75,000.12Centre Daily Times. Piazza Family Files Federal Lawsuit
As of April 2026, three defendants remain: Casey, Young, and St. Moritz. The civil claims against Casey and Young had been held up while their criminal cases were pending. In April 2026, Casey filed a motion for partial dismissal, arguing he was unaware of Piazza’s fall until the following morning and did not know the extent of his injuries. The Piazzas’ claims against him allege he failed to recognize the dangerous level of alcohol consumption, failed to recognize the need for medical care, and ignored requests from others to take Piazza to a hospital. Casey also moved to dismiss a counterclaim brought by St. Moritz, arguing he had no contract with the security firm and owed it no legal duty.13PennLive. Ex-PSU Frat Member Seeks Partial Dismissal in 2017 Suit Over Pledge’s Death
St. Moritz, hired by Penn State’s Interfraternity Council to monitor fraternity social events and enforce hazing and underage-drinking policies, has filed its own claims against the university and the IFC, alleging Penn State knew about excessive drinking at the Beta house and that the IFC implemented policies it “knew were not effective.”14PennLive. Security Firm Claims Penn State IFC Breached Contract in Hazing Death Case
The Piazzas previously settled separately with the Beta Theta Pi national organization in September 2018 and with Penn State, both for undisclosed sums.15CBS News Philadelphia. Piazza Family, Beta Theta Pi Reach Settlement12Centre Daily Times. Piazza Family Files Federal Lawsuit Those settlements do not resolve the individual claims against Casey.