Danko case ‘held in abeyance’ for one year; owner to do community service

PLAINS TWP. — Magisterial District Judge Joseph D. Spagnuolo, Jr., Tuesday ruled that a case against fitness center owner Larry Danko will be “held in abeyance” for 365 days.

According to Danko’s attorney, Frank McCabe, Danko will serve an undetermined amount of community service and he expects the case will eventually be dismissed.

Danko is the owner of Danko’s All American Fitness Centers and he faced several citations after he opened his business in defiance of Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders during the pandemic.

Danko had re-opened his business after it was closed for more than two months.

In November, 2020, a magisterial district judge dismissed a summary count of violating the state’s disease prevention and control act against Danko.

Danko was cited by Dallas police June 8, 2020 for opening the fitness center located in the Twin Stacks Center on North Memorial Highway in defiance of a state order that closed non-essential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

Danko reopened his Back Mountain fitness center and another fitness center he owns in Plains Township on May 26, 2020, after closing the gyms in March 2020, when Gov. Tom Wolf ordered non-essential businesses to close.

Plains Township police filed 23 summary citations against Danko related to the Plains Township gym opening.

Danko in a Times Leader story May 26, 2020, stated he reopened the fitness centers to allow his employees the chance to return to work and to keep his business open and afloat.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years of my life. I’ve got to keep the business running. I didn’t have a choice,” Danko was quoted as saying.