Man Gets Probation For Planting Bag Of Explosives Next To Downtown Building

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A man accused of leaving a backpack of explosives next to a building in downtown Pittsburgh was sentenced to probation.

A federal judge gave Matthew Michanowicz a sentence of 18 months of time served and three years of supervised release with the first 180 days in home detention.

Michanowicz was seen riding up to PNC Plaza on a bike with a backpack in May of last year, according to police. Surveillance footage allegedly shows him getting off the bike, looking around and walking over to bushes, where he placed the backpack.

Police got reports of a suspicious package in the area the next day, and they found the backpack. They say multiple explosives were inside.

According to court documents, when police confronted Michanowicz, he admitted to being downtown to look at the damage from the riots, but he denied planting the backpack even after police showed him photos and videos of the incident.