Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty In Homemade Explosives Case

Pittsburgh PA

09 August, 2021

2:21 PM

Description

PITTSBURGH, PA — A Duquesne Height man has pleaded guilty in federal court to placing three homemade explosive devices in a camouflage backpack last year in PNC Plaza, Downtown. Matthew Michanowicz, 53, of Republic Street will be sentenced in December for his guilty plea of violating federal firearms law, acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced Monday. In May 2020, Michanowicz was seen on surveillance video leaving the military-style backpack at PNC Plaza. Police were notified about the suspicious backpack and discovered the explosives. When questioned by police, Michanowicz admitted being Downtown that day to see the damage caused Saturday by protesters demonstrating about the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. He denied leaving the backpack even when shown photos of him doing so, police said. Michanowicz faces as much as 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.