Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – After deliberating for one and a half days, a federal jury in Pittsburgh found Roam L. Beer guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Beer, 51, of Rossiter, Pennsylvania, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
The evidence presented during the day and a half trial established that, on January 5, 2024, Beer threw an ignited homemade explosive device, which had been weaponized with steel shot, at the side of the residence of his estranged wife, who was in the room immediately inside the wall of the house where Beer threw the device, but was uninjured in the incident.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Beer remain in custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Kensington Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Beer.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.