Frank Petronio, 63, of Spencerport, NY, pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of ethnic intimidation for vandalizing Dickinson’s Asbell Center for Jewish Life and Weiss Center for the Arts on multiple occasions in late 2021 and early 2022.  

Tony Boston, Dickinson’s Chief Diversity Officer, said, “I am pleased that the perpetrator has accepted responsibility and pled guilty to the offenses. This is a crucial step in truly making our community whole.” 

Petronio may face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to $1500 during his sentencing in front of Judge Matthew P. Smith in Carlisle on Feb. 21. The prosecution dropped two additional charges, harassment and disorderly conduct, during the pre-trial conference. 

Boston said, “the outcome of the sentencing process will also help members of our community to not only feel protected from future harm, but that their identities have been both recognized and valued by these judicial processes.”

Petronio’s guilty plea is another installment in the saga that began in Nov. 2021, when offensive stickers were discovered on the Asbell and Weiss centers. He returned to campus on two more occasions, including in Jan. 2022, leaving similar messages. After he was caught on the Asbell Center’s security camera, Dickinson Public Safety worked with the Carlisle Police Department to find and apprehend Petronio in New York, arresting him in March. 

Petronio’s lawyer, Ed Spreha Jr., of Harrisburg law firm Wagner & Spreha, was reached by phone but declined to comment on the active case.