South park man jailed in abuse case with karate students now accused of murder solicitation
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A western Pennsylvania karate instructor jailed after he was accused of molesting students has now been charged with trying to solicit the murder of alleged victims in the case.
Allegheny County police said Wednesday that the new charges were filed against 29-year-old Michael Scherbanic of South Park, a county jail inmate accused last year of having abused five juvenile male students of his Tang Soo Do Karate College in North Versailles.
Police allege that an investigation involving jail officials and prosecutors “uncovered an elaborate criminal plan to intimidate victims, recruit witnesses to perjure themselves and obstruct the prosecution in five criminal cases.”
Court documents don’t list an attorney in the new case; a message left after business hours for Scherbanic’s attorney in the abuse cases wasn’t immediately returned Wednesday.