PITTSBURGH — A gun flashed, a driver was threatened, and a high-stakes pharmacy delivery heist unraveled in minutes. David Lipinski, 37, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced Tuesday to 68 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempted robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, federal prosecutors confirm.
The botched robbery went down on April 27, 2016, outside the Giant Eagle in Gibsonia, where Lipinski and two co-defendants — Raymond Denson and Anthony Bailey — targeted a van delivering pharmaceutical drugs. Surveillance footage and witness accounts show Lipinski stepping forward with a firearm, attempting to force the driver back into the vehicle as part of the crew’s plan to seize the shipment.
But the driver resisted. The plan collapsed. Lipinski and the others fled without the drugs or cash. Despite the failed outcome, federal authorities treated the incident as a violent armed assault — not a bungled robbery — due to the use of a firearm and the high-risk nature of targeting a commercial delivery.
U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak handed down the 68-month sentence, emphasizing the danger posed by brandishing a weapon during a violent crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman prosecuted the case, building on evidence gathered by federal and local investigators who tracked the suspects through forensic and video leads.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Northern Regional Police Department led the investigation, which spanned years and tied all three men to the scene. The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative revived in 2017 under then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to combat surging violent crime through coordinated local and national enforcement.
United States Attorney Scott W. Brady praised the outcome, stating that violent attempts to hijack commercial operations will be met with full federal penalties. With Lipinski now behind bars, the final defendant in the case has been held accountable. The message, Brady said, is clear: ‘Attempted robbery with a gun means federal time — no exceptions.’
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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