Gustites Murder Trial Highlights Busy Week at Schuylkill County Courthouse

Three high-profile cases are scheduled to go to trial this week at Schuylkill County Courthouse.

On Monday, the trials for John F. Gustites, of East Union Township, and Dennis Powanda Jr., are set to get underway.

Gustites is accused of murdering his son on the morning of Sept. 29, 2024, following an argument over the family vehicle. The father allegedly shot his son in the face during that argument.

Gustites is facing a third-degree murder charge and has been in Schuylkill County Prison since his arrest last year.

The case will be tried before Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chris Hobbs in Courtroom 4 starting at 9 a.m. Monday. The trial is scheduled for three days.

Karen Byrnes-Noon and Jen Foose from the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office are representing the Commonwealth in the case. Kent Watkins is representing Gustites.

Gustites also faces a felony charge of aggravated assault and misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and simple assault.

Right across the hall at the same time in Courtroom 3, the case against Powanda is scheduled to get underway.

Powanda is accused of stealing from a vacant property in Port Carbon back in February 2023. He was confronted by the owner of the property, who then shot Powanda.

It wasn’t until mid-April of last year that police filed charges against Powanda. Powanda is facing felony charges of burglary and criminal trespass as well as several misdemeanor offenses.

The two-day trial will be heard by Judge William Burke. David Noon, of the Schuylkill County DA’s Office, is representing the Commonwealth. He’s going up against Joe Nahas, who represents Powanda.

Later this week, the trial of John Riley gets underway.

Riley is accused of sexually assaulting and raping a minor girl over the course of several years at his home in Pottsville.

The case will be heard before Judge James Goodman in Courtroom 7 starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. A two-day trial is planned.

During a preliminary hearing last year, Riley’s accuser, who was 15 at the time, gave emotional testimony about how her attacker sexually assaulted her starting when she was either 10 or 11 years old.

Riley faces the following charges:

• 2 counts of first-degree felony rape
• 2 counts of first-degree felony rape of a child
• 2 counts of first-degree felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse
• 2 counts of first-degree felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child
• 2 counts of second-degree felony aggravated indecent assault of someone less than 16 years old
• 2 counts of first-degree felony statutory sexual assault
• 1 count of third-degree felony corruption of a minor
• 1 count of misdemeanor indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old

Representing the Commonwealth in this case is Assistant District Attorney Andrew Bench. William Stephens and John Urbanski are representing Riley.

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