Two Pittsburgh residents have been sentenced in federal court for obstructing law enforcement during a 2023 protest on the University of Pittsburgh campus.
Brian DiPippa, 37, was sentenced to five years in prison and his wife Krystal DiPippa, 42, was sentenced to three years of probation, according to an announcement made yesterday by Eric G. Olshan, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
On April 18, 2023, the couple participated in a protest of a controversial gender identity debate hosted by the Pitt chapter of College Republicans, dropping homemade smoke bombs near a line of people waiting to enter the event.
When university police gathered to form a barrier to keep protesters from entering through the back of the building, Brian DiPippa threw a firework into the group of officers, injuring several of them.
The DiPippas were first charged in June 2023 and pled guilty to federal charges in September 2024.
"The DiPippas conspired to injure law enforcement officers and cause chaos at a college campus protest," Olshan said. "Today's sentencings ... should serve as a deterrent."
The couple was also ordered to pay $1,400 dollars in restitution to the University of Pittsburgh, along with close to $50,000 dollars to a Pitt police officer for financial damages related to his injuries.
