Grand jury investigating regatta, says city official
Safety director resists making details public
A grand jury is investigating the abrupt cancellation in July of the the EQT Three Rivers Regatta, according to a signed affidavit from Pittsburgh’s public safety director, Wendell Hissrich.
The affidavit was in response to an open records request from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to obtain communication between city officials and regatta board members during the two years leading up to the July 30 cancellation.
“There is an ongoing grand jury investigation into this matter,” Mr. Hissrich wrote in the document dated Oct. 15.
Releasing records would result in “tainting the jury pool for the trial that may follow the investigation(s),” Mr. Hissrich continued, and that a “very real consequence” of releasing information to media is the possible “‘disappearance’ of records and witnesses.”
It’s unclear who is conducting the grand jury. County and state prosecutors can impanel grand juries to look into a single issue. Federal prosecutors use a grand jury almost exclusively to charge all defendants and regularly have multiple juries taking testimony.
The Allegheny County district attorney’s office is not leading an investigation, according to a spokesman.
“[W]e do not have any active review of that issue,” DA spokesman Mike Manko said in an emailed response Wednesday. “The city is doing their own investigation.”
“We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation,” said Mike Shade, spokesman for Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
Likewise, the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment.
The city initiated its own criminal investigation on July 31 “into LionHeart and their dealings with the Regatta and the city,” Chris Togneri, Public Safety spokesman said at the time.
Recent regatta organizer LionHeart Event Group, owned by Derek Weber, of Ross, owes $28,000 to the city’s Bureau of Police for services provided at the 2017 and 2018 regattas.
The city has not revealed how many detectives or the extent of resources devoted to the investigation. “There are no updates at this time,” Mr. Togneri wrote Wednesday in an emailed response.
Pittsburgh-based defense attorney Albert Veverka, who is representing Mr. Weber, said he had not learned of a grand jury investigation.
The city initially denied the Post-Gazette’s request for records, citing criminal and noncriminal records exceptions, “predecisional deliberations,” and Pennsylvania’s Criminal History Records Information Act.
Mayor Bill Peduto “has ordered” Mr. Hissrich “to investigate the nonpayment of Fourth of July and Regatta funds to other governmental units and vendors,” wrote city Solicitor Celia Liss on Oct. 15.
“Additionally, the city is responding to a grand jury subpoena for the same records,” she added.
Several vendors have already spoken to the Post-Gazette regarding invoices that have gone unpaid by LionHeart. The Allegheny County sheriff’s office has sued for nearly $33,000 for policing services provided at the 2018 Fourth of July and regatta events.
A source familiar with the Cambria County-based Starfire Corp.’s finances said the company still is owed roughly $130,000 for fireworks provided in 2019 and 2018.
Mr. Weber filed for bankruptcy in September, claiming up to $50,000 in assets, and liabilities ranging between $500,000 and $1 million.
The regatta board of directors, made up of private individuals, as well as current county- and city-appointed members, canceled the event just days before its scheduled Aug. 2 start, putting the blame “solely” on Mr. Weber for not purchasing liability insurance.