Fourth person indicted in branding of Struthers teen

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A fourth person has been indicted by a Mahoning County grand jury, accused in the branding of a Struthers teen last month.

The grand jury issued a superseding indictment Thursday and indicted Andrew J. Kocak, 33, of Wilson Street in Struthers.

The other three, who were indicted by a grand jury Sept. 4, are Laurie Lyden, 46, of Creed Street in Struthers, who also is a civilian employee of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office; Bryan Pryjma, 38, of Wilson Street in Struthers; and Ronald Bier, 35, of Wilson Street in Struthers.

They face charges of endangering children, corrupting another with drugs, felonious assault and two counts of intimidation.

Police say the father of a 17-year-old boy reported he was branded with a throwing star and the lid from a can of chewing tobacco Aug. 15, inside a Wilson Street home.

The father told police that his son was held down and branded on his left buttock by three men — Pryjma, Bier and Kocak, who was not charged until Thursday, after losing a bet involving the eating of moonshine-soaked cherries.

The report states that Pryjma and Bier held down the 17-year-old, as Kocac branded him twice with the lid and once with the throwing star; Lyden purportedly videotaped the incident. Those involved then supplied the boy with drugs.

The 17-year-old suffered third-degree burns and had skin-graft surgery to heal the open wounds. He also had a blood infection that could have resulted in death had it gone untreated, according to the police report.

Kocak had charges of intimidation added to him because he threatened the victim and his friends, said Assistant Prosecutor Rebecca Doherty.

Lyden has been placed on administrative leave by the sheriff’s office pending the outcome of her case.

Also indicted by the grand jury was Brian C. Griffin, 24, of Glenwood Street Northeast in Warren, on 10 counts of rape and 10 counts of gross sexual imposition.

The indictment against Griffin said he is charged with having sexual contact with a child who was 8 years old at the time between Feb. 1, 2012, and May 31, 2013. The indictment did not state where in Mahoning County the crimes took place.