The Beta Theta Pi fraternity and 18 individuals are facing charges ranging from manslaughter to furnishing alcohol to minors in connection with the February frat house death of sophomore engineering student Timothy Piazza.

A total of 8 students and the fraternity are charged with involuntary manslaughter and other counts. Charges against 10 other students include such counts as furnishing alcohol to minors, recklessly endangering, hazing or tampering with evidence.

The charges were announced at a mid-morning press conference held by Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller and her special deputy in the case, veteran prosecutor Bruce Castor.

The president of the fraternity and other students were among those charged. Some of the individuals charged are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon, Parks Miller said. Other arraignments will take place next week.

Parks Miller arrived at her aggressive charging decision after a 10-week grand jury investigation. “This has been a very intense investigation,” she said. “I am not sure we have charged as many people at one time in one case.”

Piazza’s parents, from Lebanon, N.J., were in attendance for Parks’ announcement. “We are devastated,” said Piazza’s father, Jim. “He was an incredible young man and an excellent student. He was an amazing son, brother, boyfriend and friend. We are going to miss him terribly. He just wanted to make people laugh and be a good friend.”

Piazza died Feb. 4 at Hershey Medical Center, just two days after he arrived at the Beta house for pledge night activities that were marked by heavy consumption of booze.

In the midst of the celebration, police have said, Piazza fell down a set of stairs. His would-be brothers, apparently believing he was simply drunk and would have to sleep it off, carried Piazza to a couch in the expansive home but did not summon medical help until the following morning.

The charges, however, may bring an epic court battle.

Even during the grand jury probe, attorneys for several defendants argued that Piazza’s death — while tragic for all involved — was the result of injuries that no layman could have detected, or even suspected.

The case has already had university-wide ramifications for Greek organizations at Penn State.

Just last month, President Eric Barron, imposed a harsh set of new restrictions on alcohol service at any fraternity event. Barron also warned, after several chapters broke the new rules this spring, that he will banish fraternities and soroities at Penn State if the reforms aren’t taken seriously.

Penn State did close the Beta house shortly after Piazza’s death.