NAZARETH, Pa. — Life was going well for Sammy Sasso this year.
And then, in an instant, it wasn’t.
Sasso, the Nazareth Area High School wrestling legend and Ohio State University four-time All-American, was returning home from the Buckeye state in July.
Now 25, he was engaged to be married. His health had improved substantially after being shot in the abdomen during an attempted carjacking in August 2023.
“This was a setback. But as any true athlete, he will rebound quickly.”Gary Asteak, attorney for Sammy Sasso
He was about to begin a dream job as an assistant wrestling coach at Lehigh University.
As always, Sasso was coming up a winner.
But then life did a reversal.
On July 16 in Nazareth, police pulled over Sasso’s vehicle for an expired registration. Police discovered four handguns — unlicensed in Pennsylvania — and THC vape cartridges in the vehicle.
Sasso was charged with four counts of firearms not to be carried without a license, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia as well as a summary violation.
And now, in order to get his back off the mat and his life back on track, Sasso on Monday enrolled in an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program with Northampton County.
Upon completing the program, which will consist of Sasso staying out of legal trouble and paying fines and court costs, he has the opportunity to have the charges dismissed.
“Things were going very, very well for Sammy,” his attorney, Gary Asteak, said Tuesday afternoon. “He was excited and enthusiastic about the next stage of his life.
“This was a setback. But as any true athlete, he will rebound quickly.”
'I hope they look at it again'
An Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, or ARD, program in Pennsylvania is a pre-trial intervention for first-time or non-violent offenders to avoid a conviction and potentially expunge their record, typically for offenses such as first-time DUI.
Participants typically are required to fulfill specific conditions, such as community service, counseling, probation and fees, with successful completion leading to the dismissal of charges.
According to Asteak, timing was a key factor in Sasso having weapons in his possession that were licensed in Ohio, but not in Pennsylvania.
“The guns were perfectly legal."Sammy Sasso attorney Gary Asteak
“The guns were perfectly legal,” Asteak said. “He was moving back home. His car was not unpacked. The car had his belongings in it.
“But he just hadn’t gone yet to the sheriff’s office to get a license to carry in Pennsylvania.”
Asteak said he's hopeful Sasso will get another opportunity to coach at Lehigh.
“Lehigh released its obligation to him when they learned about his arrest,” Asteak said. “They did that without even looking into the circumstance as to the nature of the charges.
“I hope they look at it again and see that they acted prematurely.”
At Nazareth, Sasso was a two-time PIAA state champion and also placed second and third. He went 180-11 over four years for the Blue Eagle.
He also won championships at the prestigious Ironman, Super 32, Beast of the East and FloWrestling national tournaments.
At Ohio State, Sasso was a four-time All-American, two-time NCAA finalist and two-time Big Ten champion. He finished his college career with a 106-19 record.
