Pa. teen facing hate crime charge to be released

Associated Press

POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — An eastern Pennsylvania teenager facing a federal hate crime charge in the death of an illegal Mexican immigrant is due to be released from prison.

Eighteen-year-old Brandon Piekarsky is scheduled to be released from Schuylkill County prison Thursday. Piekarsky was sentenced in June in the beating death of 25-year-old Luis Ramirez in Shenandoah.

Federal prosecutors Tuesday charged Piekarsky and 19-year-old Derrick Donchak with a hate crime in Ramirez's death. Shenandoah police Chief Matthew Nestor and two other officers are accused of trying to cover up the crime.

Piekarsky and Donchak were convicted of simple assault but acquitted of the most serious charges against them in May.

Donchak and Piekarsky are scheduled for an initial court appearance Dec. 22 on the federal charge.

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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.