Potential Charges
Obstruction of justice
• Class D felony
• Six months to three years in prison
• Maximum fine of $10,000
False informing
• Class B misdemeanor
• Up to 180 days in prison
• Fine of no more than $1,000
Class A misdemeanor
• No more than one year in prison
• Fine of no more than $5,000
SOURCE: Indiana laws
The Delaware County prosecuting attorney said Ball State has not contacted him to review accusations against Andrew Pizzano for filing a false police report.
“If in fact there was false [informing] of such an incident, that is something I would take a very hard look at and consider filing criminal charges,” Jeff Arnold, Delaware County’s prosecutor, said. “But you have to put a big ‘if’ on that since I am not seeing any paperwork.”
As a prosecutor, Arnold has the ability to file criminal charges even if the defendant declines to press charges.
Following a University Police Department investigation, Ball State said Pizzano’s claims of being stabbed in a parking lot near Worthen Arena are false. Pizzano received nine stitches to a wound in his upper left tricep at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, where the police found out about the incident.
The charges that Arnold would consider filing, if the university passes the case to him, would include obstruction of justice and false informing.
Obstruction of justice is a Class D felony that can result in six months to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000, according to Indiana’s laws.
The charge of false informing can result in either a Class B misdemeanor, meaning up to 180 days in prison and a fine of no more than $1,000, or a Class A misdemeanor resulting in imprisonment of no more than one year and a fine of no more than $5,000.
The crime would be changed from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor if the report substantially hinders the law enforcement process or results in the harm of an innocent person, Arnold said.
He said he would be more inclined to pursue a case against Pizzano on the charges of obstruction of justice.
The exact charges Pizzano could face would be fact specific and Arnold said he hopes Ball State will pass the case on to his office.
“I consider that pretty serious when you tie up that many police officers [and] manpower,” he said. “The whole university is getting a text alert, you may or may not have had people rushing to the scene that puts people in danger — those are pretty serious issues.”
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