Krystal DiPippa, Brian DiPippa, Obstruction of Law Enforcement, Pennsylvania 2023

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Krystal DiPippa, 42, and her husband Brian DiPippa, 37, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have pleaded guilty to obstructing law enforcement during a public gathering and protest in 2023.

According to the charges, the DiPippas participated in an April 2023 protest on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Brian DiPippa ignited and dropped two homemade smoke bomb containers in and around a line of people waiting to enter a building for a scheduled event.

When university police officers gathered and formed a barrier to prevent protesters from entering the rear of the building, Brian DiPippa, concealed by his wife (Krystal), ignited and threw a large explosive firework into the group of officers, causing a loud explosion and injuries to several officers.

“The United States Attorney’s Office is dedicated to prosecuting individuals who physically attack our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan. “The DiPippas went to this event not for the purpose of having their voices heard in a protest, but instead for the purpose of using this protest as a means of cover so that they could disrupt the protest and conceal themselves in a crowd while carrying out a cowardly attack on police officers.”

“The FBI and our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners want to make it clear: we will not allow the rights protected by the First Amendment to be exploited as cover for individuals to carry out violent attacks on law enforcement,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek.

Krystal DiPippa pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, while Brian DiPippa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder.

According to the law, the maximum sentence for each charge is up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed are based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

On January 6, 2025, Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan will schedule sentencing for Brian DiPippa, who has been in custody since his June 30, 2023, arrest. Krystal DiPippa’s sentencing is not mentioned in the report.

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