PITTSBURGH – William Curry Brown, following a guilty plea entered on January 13, 2020, was sentenced in federal court today for terroristic attacks and violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation on land, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§1992(a)(5) and (a)(10) and 2.
United States District Court Judge Donetta W. Ambrose sentenced Mr. Brown, 28, of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, to three years’ probation with standard and additional conditions.
In connection with the earlier entered guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about November 1, 2017, Brown knowingly and without lawful authority or permission did and did attempt to remove an appurtenance from, damage or otherwise impair the operation of a railroad signal system. Specifically, at one railroad location near Braddock, William Brown detached four railroad signal antennas by unscrewing them. Additionally, Brown used a pair of bolt cutters and cut the railroad signal cables which were housed in a signal bungalow, which caused a complete signal failure. At another location near McKeesport, Brown used the same bolt cutters to sever multiple bond strand signal wires that were attached to tracks along the rail line. The damage Brown caused to the rail lines resulted in significant financial loss. Further, the railroad system that was damaged was engaged in mass transportation, and carries both passenger and freight cars. The court was advised that the offense involved recklessly endangering the safety of this mass transportation facility.
As part of the defendant’s sentence, Judge Ambrose also ordered that the defendant pay restitution in the amount of $1,425.95 to CSX Transportation.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Cook is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CSX Transportation Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
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