Accused gate-crasher at FBI office on South Side to stand trial

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

An Ohio man accused of ramming a truck through a set of security gates at FBI headquarters on the South Side waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday.

Thomas Richard Ross, 49, of New Waterford will stand trial on charges including aggravated assault, trespass, criminal mischief, fleeing or attempting to elude, and making bomb threats.

Several charges were withdrawn.

The hearing in City Court had been postponed more than a halfdozen times over the past year.

District Judge Oscar J. Petite reduced Ross’ bail from $150,000 to $50,000.

Pittsburgh police said Ross was driving a dump truck in the wrong lane toward a motorcycle officer and narrowly missed hitting him about 10:45 a.m. July 26 on South 22nd Street.

The officer chased the truck through eight or nine red lights on East Carson Street, police said. Ross finally turned onto South 33rd Street and pulled over near the FBI building in the 3300 block of East Carson.

More officers arrived and tried calming Ross, who said he had a bomb.

Police said Ross appeared to be ready to surrender but then accelerated his truck and crashed through a set of security gates, past a security booth, and through a security arm and a retractable, wheel-high barrier.