Man killed in motorcycle crash near Homestead Grays Bridge
A 33-year-old man was killed Thursday night in a motorcycle crash near the Homestead Grays Bridge.
The crash happened along Browns Hill Road just before midnight near the intersection of Parkview Boulevard.
A 33-year-old man was killed in a motorcycle crash along Browns Hill Road near the Homestead Grays Bridge.
KDKA Photojournalist Brian Smithmyer
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Robert Brimage, 33, died at the scene.
Pittsburgh Police are investigating the crash.
It's unclear at this time what led up to the crash or if any other vehicles were involved.
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Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
Trusted Advisor Stole From Retirees And Lied To The IRS—Now He'll Spend Decades In Prison
Higgins' businesses stored and invested gold and silver. getty A 69-year-old West Chester, Pa., man has been sentenced to 65 years in prison after being found guilty of wire fraud, mail fraud, and five counts of tax evasion. Judge Maryellen Noreika handed down the lengthy sentence to Robert Leroy Higgins, citing the 'scope and brazenness' of Higgins' crimes in what prosecutors called 'the largest theft from a precious metals depository in the history of the United States.' The jury took less than four hours to convict Higgins on fraud and tax evasion charges related to the activities of gold and silver storage companies he founded in Delaware. Tax-favored Delaware has long attracted metals traders and investors. That's was part of the appeal when Higgins established his first precious metals storage company in 2006 in The First State. As part of his business model, Higgins promised to store gold and silver bars and coins belonging to taxpayers who wanted to include precious metals in their retirement accounts. Traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) allow taxpayers to hold stocks, mutual funds, and other investments. But under existing IRA rules, gold and other precious metals are considered 'collectibles" and aren't generally allowed in IRAs. There's an exception in the statute for highly refined bullion that is in the physical possession of a bank or an IRS-approved non-bank trustee—personal storage of the gold, such as at home or in a safe, is prohibited. (If you're a regular reader, you'll recall that I tackled this topic in a recent issue of our free tax newsletter, Tax Breaks.) Higgins' gold and silver storage business filled that hole, and thousands of customers took advantage of his services. Approximately 2,100 customers stored gold or silver in labeled boxes similar to those used for bank deposits with Higgins' companies. Other customers used Higgins' services for investment purposes. Cracks Began To Show According to court records, Higgins' business ran out of money in 2012 and was unable to repay a sizable loan. Despite complaints filed against him, prosecutors say Higgins just opened a new company and then stole from his customers, using the company as his personal piggy bank. He also recruited help—his son, Eric, testified at his trial that Higgins told him to create false customer holding reports as part of the fraud. Prosecutors also assert that, beginning at least as early as 2015, Higgins began filing false income tax returns, claiming that he had almost no income—he also claimed that he was not associated with either company (the original company and the new company he created). By 2022, Higgins had attracted the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission after customers complained that they were unable to recover their investments. That same year, Higgins filed for bankruptcy (he had also filed for bankruptcy in 2016). Allegations And Charges Higgins was eventually charged with fraud and tax evasion, and his businesses were turned over to a court-appointed receiver in 2022. A receiver is a neutral third-party who typically takes possession of assets at the request of the court in an effort to account for and protect them. When federal agents seized Higgins' businesses, they took its vaults and a framed picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Higgins kept near his office desk. The seizures allowed the receiver to return some assets to clients. By 2023, the receiver had recovered $64 million of precious metals to return to the owners. Still, former customers reported they were missing over $76 million. (As part of his sentence, the judge ordered Higgins to pay $76.5 million in restitution, despite Higgins characterizing the value of the losses as 'speculation.') Prosecutors allege that Higgins used customer deposits to maintain a lavish lifestyle, including family vacations, private school tuition, shopping sprees, and new vehicles—all while representing to the IRS that he was not earning a living. He also told the court that he couldn't afford an attorney. However, when investigators searched Higgins' home, they discovered gold worth tens of thousands of dollars hidden in the ceiling of his million-dollar home in Pennsylvania. This, despite Higgins saying under oath that he had no gold in his possession. The search also turned up text messages on Higgins' phone, which reportedly showed that he attempted to purchase a Hummer (vehicle) with gold. Impact On Victims After his conviction, the government received 91 victim impact statements. Many of the victims were retired or near retirement—the IRA piece of the business had appealed to them. One victim explained that she was forced to live out of her truck and left without a home after losing her investments, while another detailed how he had invested his life savings and his daughters' college funds with Higgins. Yet another claimed she woke up 'many nights worrying about the future' because her IRA retirement savings were lost. Those statements were in addition to the nearly 800 claim forms submitted by victims seeking the return of funds. Investors are unlikely to be repaid in full. Sentencing And Related Factors Despite the widespread damage Higgins is alleged to have caused, the government claimed he had a 'complete lack of remorse.' And while Higgins himself was also a senior citizen, the government notes that 'his age didn't stop him from perpetrating this massive fraud. And it did not stop him victimizing those who were of an even more advanced age.' Prosecutors also pointed to more evidence they claim showed that Higgins demonstrated a lack of concern for others. On May 17, 2022, Higgins drove to Ohio to obtain replacement metals for an account owned by a customer who had grown frustrated with Higgins' stonewalling. While on the way, Higgins caused a car crash that killed one person and seriously injured another. According to the sentencing memorandum, in an interview with police, Higgins admitted that his driver's license was suspended, and that he caused the crash after he reached onto the floorboard of his armored vehicle while driving 66 mph in a 45 mph work zone. Additionally, the license plate on his vehicle was registered to a different vehicle. That behavior, prosecutors allege, was indicative of recklessness. Tellingly, when Higgins made his initial appearance on tax evasion charges, he did not inform the court about what had happened (he was subsequently charged with vehicular homicide in the crash). The judge had little sympathy for Higgins' defense. 'Over many years, you lied, over and over and over,' the judge told Higgins before handing down what will be, effectively, a life sentence.
CBS News
8 hours ago
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9 hours ago
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Sig Sauer, faced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire
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The company, which employs over 2,000 people in a state with permissive gun laws, says the P320 has internal safety mechanisms and 'has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world.' It says the problem is user error or incompatible holsters, not the design. Advertisement 'Do you want people to be able to sue car manufacturers because they sell cars that don't have air conditioning?' state Rep. Terry Roy, a Republican from Deerfield, told the House during debate in May. Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company. 'I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people and doesn't give them their day in court,' state Rep. David Meuse, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said in an interview. His district covers Newington, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. 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Kelly Ayotte signed it on May 23. Legislators said it doesn't apply to the current lawsuits. However, lawyers for Sig Sauer mentioned it as part of their argument to dismiss the March case or break up and transfer the claims of 22 plaintiffs to court districts where they live. A hearing on the matter is set for July 21. Ayotte's office did not respond to an AP request seeking comment, but it told The Keene Sentinel that she's 'proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits.' 'Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire,' Ayotte's office said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. Robert Zimmerman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney in Pennsylvania, said the goal of the lawsuits is to get the weapon's design changed so that it's safe for the people who use it. New Hampshire was the chosen location because federal rules allow lawsuits against a company in its home state, Zimmerman said. Those lawsuits have been assigned to one federal judge in Concord. 'Sig is trying to strategically decentralize this case and make every client go to 100 different courthouses and slow down the process for both sides to get a just outcome, which is a trial that is decided on the merits,' Zimmerman said in an interview. Sig Sauer gets protection The lawsuits accuse Sig Sauer of defective product design and marketing and negligence. During the House debate, Roy said he owns a P320 and it's one of his favorite guns, 'but you can buy them with or without safeties.' Advertisement The plaintiffs say 'the vast majority' of P320 models sold don't come with the safety, 'even as an option.' Sig Sauer says some users prefer the faster draw time granted by the absence of an external safety; others want the feature for added security. Sig Sauer offered a 'voluntary upgrade' in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other features. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. States, industries and immunity 'It's not a great look' when a manufacturer can carve out a statutory exemption for itself, but it's also not unusual, said Daniel Pi, an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill in 2023 following a deadly school shooting that gives gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers additional protections against lawsuits. This year, Tennessee lawmakers passed another bill to further limit liability for gun companies. In a different industry — pesticides — governors in North Dakota and Georgia signed laws this year providing legal protections to Bayer, the maker of Roundup, a popular weed killer. Bayer has been hit with 181,000 claims alleging that the key ingredient in Roundup causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer disputes those claims. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill that would protect nursing homes from most lawsuits and cap damages. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry hasn't acted on it yet.
