A federal jury in Pittsburgh has found Roam L. Beer, 51, of Rossiter, Pennsylvania, guilty of unlawfully possessing a destructive device. The verdict was announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti after a day and a half of deliberations.
Beer was tried before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. Evidence presented during the trial showed that on January 5, 2024, Beer threw an ignited homemade explosive device, which contained steel shot, at the side of his estranged wife’s residence. She was in the room immediately inside the wall where the device hit but was not injured.
Judge Fischer set sentencing for November 18, 2025. Beer faces up to ten years in prison and a possible fine of $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined based on federal Sentencing Guidelines, considering both the seriousness of the offense and Beer’s criminal history.
Pending sentencing, Beer will remain in custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the New Kensington Police Department.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and communities. In May 2021, the Department implemented a new strategy to strengthen PSN by focusing on building trust in communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and tracking results (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
“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,” said Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
