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Betty Roccograndi: Fickle Wilkes-Barre Area school directors seem open to any rebuilding plan

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<p>SCRANTON &#8212; The U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office has assumed the case against a former nurse accused of participating in an emergency surgical procedure while drunk.</p><p>Federal prosecutors on Friday charged Richard Pieri with reckless endangerment under the Federal Assimilated Crimes Act, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court. Pieri, prosecutors say, &#8220;did recklessly endanger another person by placing that person in danger of death or serious bodily injury by participating in a surgical procedure while under the influence of alcohol.&#8221;</p><p>Pieri&#8217;s attorney, Shelley L. Centini, was not immediately available for comment Friday.</p><p>Prosecutors say Pieri, 59, of Drums, staggered into the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center and <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/515090/nurse-accused-of-aiding-in-emergency-surgery-at-wilkes-barre-veterans-administration-medical-center-while-under-the-influence-of-alcohol" target="_blank">aided in an emergency surgical procedure</a> after drinking four or five beers at Mohegan Sun Pocono casino. He allegedly told police he forgot he was on call.</p><p>Video surveillance obtained by police allegedly shows Pieri emerge from his Honda Ridgeline truck and collide with a concrete barrier while walking into the medical center just before midnight Feb. 4, nearly falling over several times.</p><p>Pieri had been charged with misdemeanor counts of of reckless endangerment, DUI and public drunkenness, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/526246/prosecutors-drop-local-charges-against-former-va-nurse-richard-pieri" target="_blank">all of which were withdrawn</a> by the Luzerne County District Attorney&#8217;s Office during a preliminary hearing last month before District Judge Joseph Spagnuolo.</p><p>State officials suspended Pieri&#8217;s nursing license a day after he resigned from the hospital.</p><p>The former nurse has <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/517658/va-nurse-pieri-accused-of-assisting-in-surgery-while-drunk-has-troubled-past" target="_blank">a troubled past</a> that included being charged in the 1985 hit-and-run death of 65-year-old veteran George Knorr near the hospital, which was adjacent to Pieri&#8217;s residence at the time.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Pieri </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_IMG_2047-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Pieri </caption0><photoCredit0>Travis Kellar | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Federal prosecutors file charges against former Veterans Administration Medical Center nurse Richard Pieri