Free Peppy and Krystal (LAABCF Flyer)
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BACKGROUND In the early hours of May 19th, 2023, heavily- armed agents raided the home of two Pittsburgh ‘community members, Brian “Peppy” DiPippa and Krystal DiPippa. Nearly a month and a half later, they were both federally indicted, and on June 30h,2023, they surrendered to the court ‘The case against Peppy and Krystal (USA v. DiPippa et al, (W.D. Pa. 2024) arose out of an April 18,2023, demonstration against a University of Pittsburgh-sanctioned event that promoted hatred toward transgender people and communities. The speaking event features notorious transphobes Brad Polumbo and Michael Knowles, and posed the question, “should transgenderism be regulated by law?” ‘The government alleges that in the protests outside the event, a “civil disorder” occurred, when one commercially available firework and two homemade “smoke bombs” were discharged. This “civil disorder” forms the context in which Krystal and Peppy were charged. CHARGES Krystal, who was released on pre-trial probation, ‘was charged with (1) conspiracy and (2) obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. Peppy was detained when he surrendered to the ‘court on June 30, 2023 and has been imprisoned since. He was charged with (1) conspiracy, (2) obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, and (3) use of explosive to commit a federal felony. Both entered not guilty pleas. PLEAS AND SENTENCING Because they were charged with conspiracy as co-defendants, they were facing equal amounts of prison time, in a range that could have exceeded 10 years. Considering all the personal risks of going to trial,and factoring in the larger political context of the case, Peppy and Krystal accepted a non-cooperating deal and changed their plea. At that hearing, Peppy pled guilty to counts 1 (conspiracy) and 2 (obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder); the third count, which carried with it a 10-year mandatory minimum, was dropped. Krystal pled guilty to count 2. Krystals plea carries 3 years of probation, but she will not serve any prison time. By statute, Peppy’s plea carries a 60-month sentence. On January 6th, 2025, at a sentencing hearing, they were sentenced by a judge in accordance with the statute. In addition to jail time and probation, they were also ordered to jointly pay restitution to the University of Pitsburgh in the amount of $1,400, along with $47,284 toa University of Pittsburgh police officer for alleged financial damages. ANALYSIS ‘The federal government’s targeting of Krystal and Peppy is overtly political Even before the April 18th protest, FBI agents secretly followed our friends and used tactics straight out of the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) playbook to manufacture justification for the May 19th, 2023 raid. Amongst other stalking schemes, federal agents performed a warrantless search of Peppy and Krystal’s garbage, in which they allegedly found a discarded pamphlet about the movement to Stop Cop. City. Direct from the government’s search warrant affidavit: “the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” movement has been active since approximately April 2021 and involves protesters unlawfully occupying a wooded area of land where the city plans to build a police taining facility.” In the unwarranted trash search, federal agencies allegedly found “a printed zine. discussing anarchist ideology.” It is important to note that in the affidavit for a search warrant, the FBI described their following of Peppy and Krystal beginning a week before the April 18th protest — that is, a week before any allegation of any law being broken. The FBI’s use of a Stop Cop City pamphlet o jusify an aggressive raid on alleged Pittsburgh political activists draws a direct line from the federal crackdown on Atlanta-area organizers to the government’s national strategy of repression and intimidation, In its prosecution, the feds continued trying to criminalize alleged political beliefs, retaliate for alleged participation in the April 18th protest, and intimidate others from protesting and/or supporting the rights and existence of transgender people. During court proceedings, the prosecution continued to dramatize the political dimension of this case. SENTENCING DETAILS Pep was sentenced (o serve 60 months in BOP. As he’s served 18 months already, he anticipates being eligible to transition to a halfway house around March 2026 (between 15 and 22 months) After that, he will be on supervised release for 3 years. Krystal was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and 80 hours of community service. Pep and Krystal were jointly sentenced to pay $50,225.03, mostly to University Of Pittsburgh Officer TH, with a smaller sum (o the University of Pittsburgh. They also were given special assessments of $200 and $100, respectively, and sentenced to repayment of some costs of prosecution and their own punishment. Critically, however, there was no further fine. Pep and Krystal issued a joint statement: “We hold in our gravity a deep reverence for love beyond the limited words we have. We know the devoted embrace of solidarity — people leaning in 0 one another against involuntary servitude and for a world of mutual aid,
1f we are convicted, it is of love for each other, and for our community, to which all brave hearts beat devotion to the impossible task of liberation. ‘We are grateful for those who care take, for without you, freedom would be even more distant.” DONATIONS Peppy and Kiystal need your support! Among other things, there are commissary and the ongoing costs of prison support for the remainder of Peppy’s sentence. Please donate today and spread the word: freepeppyandkrystal.noblogs.org/donate “When I read your letters, my soul escapes this place to walk alongside you, to commune; and with a big inhale I share our smiles with others experiencing incarceration. Thank you for reach- ing through these windowless walls. Respect and solidarity to all the bravehearts!” ~Peppy ‘WRITE PEPPY Peppy* #66590-510 FCI Elkion Post Office Box 10 Lisbon, Ohio 44432 *Address envelope to Brian DiPippa ; cards/letters t0 Peppy freepeppy.org twitter @freepandk instagram @free. peppy.and krystal Local group supporting Peppy and Krystal: NYC Anarchist Black Cross NYC Anarchist Black Cross is a collective focused on supporting US-held political prisoners and prisoners of war and opposing state repression against revolutionary social justice movements. NYCABC Post Office Box 110034 Brooklyn, New York 11211 nycabc@riseup.net nycabc.wordpress.com venmo @nycabe instagram/twitter/tikiok/bluesky @nycabe facebook.com/nycabe Peppy and Krystal T wo anarchists who have been the sub-| ject of government repression and need your support.
BACKGROUND

In the early hours of May 19th, 2023, heavily-
armed agents raided the home of two Pittsburgh
‘community members, Brian “Peppy” DiPippa and
Krystal DiPippa. Nearly a month and a half later,
they were both federally indicted, and on June
30h,2023, they surrendered to the court

‘The case against Peppy and Krystal (USA v.
DiPippa et al, (W.D. Pa. 2024) arose out of an April
18,2023, demonstration against a University of
Pittsburgh-sanctioned event that promoted hatred
toward transgender people and communities. The
speaking event features notorious transphobes Brad
Polumbo and Michael Knowles, and posed the
question, “should transgenderism be regulated by
law?”

‘The government alleges that in the protests outside
the event, a “civil disorder” occurred, when

one commercially available firework and two
homemade “smoke bombs” were discharged. This
“civil disorder” forms the context in which Krystal
and Peppy were charged.

CHARGES

Krystal, who was released on pre-trial probation,
‘was charged with (1) conspiracy and (2)
obstruction of law enforcement during civil
disorder.

Peppy was detained when he surrendered to the
‘court on June 30, 2023 and has been imprisoned
since. He was charged with (1) conspiracy, (2)
obstruction of law enforcement during civil
disorder, and (3) use of explosive to commit a
federal felony. Both entered not guilty pleas.

PLEAS AND SENTENCING
Because they were charged with conspiracy as
co-defendants, they were facing equal amounts of
prison time, in a range that could have exceeded

10 years. Considering all the personal risks of going to
trial,and factoring in the larger political context of the
case, Peppy and Krystal accepted a non-cooperating
deal and changed their plea. At that hearing, Peppy
pled guilty to counts 1 (conspiracy) and 2 (obstruction
of law enforcement during a civil disorder); the third
count, which carried with it a 10-year mandatory
minimum, was dropped. Krystal pled guilty to count 2.

Krystals plea carries 3 years of probation, but she will
not serve any prison time. By statute, Peppy’s plea
carries a 60-month sentence. On January 6th, 2025, at a
sentencing hearing, they were sentenced by a judge in
accordance with the statute.

In addition to jail time and probation, they were also
ordered to jointly pay restitution to the University of
Pitsburgh in the amount of $1,400, along with $47,284
toa University of Pittsburgh police officer for alleged
financial damages.

ANALYSIS
‘The federal government’s targeting of Krystal and
Peppy is overtly political

Even before the April 18th protest, FBI agents secretly
followed our friends and used tactics straight out of

the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO)
playbook to manufacture justification for the May 19th,
2023 raid. Amongst other stalking schemes, federal
agents performed a warrantless search of Peppy and
Krystal’s garbage, in which they allegedly found a
discarded pamphlet about the movement to Stop Cop.
City. Direct from the government’s search warrant
affidavit: “the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” movement
has been active since approximately April 2021 and
involves protesters unlawfully occupying a wooded
area of land where the city plans to build a police
taining facility.” In the unwarranted trash search,
federal agencies allegedly found “a printed zine.
discussing anarchist ideology.” It is important to

note that in the affidavit for a search warrant, the

FBI described their following of Peppy and Krystal

beginning a week before the April 18th protest —
that is, a week before any allegation of any law
being broken. The FBI's use of a Stop Cop City
pamphlet o jusify an aggressive raid on alleged
Pittsburgh political activists draws a direct line
from the federal crackdown on Atlanta-area
organizers to the government’s national strategy
of repression and intimidation,

In its prosecution, the feds continued trying to
criminalize alleged political beliefs, retaliate for
alleged participation in the April 18th protest,

and intimidate others from protesting and/or
supporting the rights and existence of transgender
people. During court proceedings, the prosecution
continued to dramatize the political dimension of
this case.

SENTENCING DETAILS

Pep was sentenced (o serve 60 months in BOP.
As he’s served 18 months already, he anticipates
being eligible to transition to a halfway house
around March 2026 (between 15 and 22 months)
After that, he will be on supervised release for

3 years. Krystal was sentenced to 3 years of
supervised release and 80 hours of community
service.

Pep and Krystal were jointly sentenced to pay
$50,225.03, mostly to University Of Pittsburgh
Officer TH, with a smaller sum (o the University
of Pittsburgh. They also were given special
assessments of $200 and $100, respectively,

and sentenced to repayment of some costs of
prosecution and their own punishment. Critically,
however, there was no further fine.

Pep and Krystal issued a joint statement:
“We hold in our gravity a deep reverence for love
beyond the limited words we have. We know the
devoted embrace of solidarity — people leaning in
0 one another against involuntary servitude and

for a world of mutual aid,
1f we are convicted, it is of love for each other, and
for our community, to which all brave hearts beat
devotion to the impossible task of liberation.

‘We are grateful for those who care take, for without
you, freedom would be even more distant.”

DONATIONS

Peppy and Kiystal need your support! Among other
things, there are commissary and the ongoing costs
of prison support for the remainder of Peppy’s
sentence. Please donate today and spread the word:
freepeppyandkrystal.noblogs.org/donate

“When I read your letters, my soul escapes this
place to walk alongside you, to commune; and
with a big inhale I share our smiles with others
experiencing incarceration. Thank you for reach-
ing through these windowless walls. Respect and
solidarity to all the bravehearts!” ~Peppy

‘WRITE PEPPY

Peppy* #66590-510
FCI Elkion

Post Office Box 10

Lisbon, Ohio 44432

*Address envelope to Brian DiPippa ; cards/letters

t0 Peppy

freepeppy.org
twitter @freepandk
instagram @free. peppy.and krystal

Local group supporting Peppy and Krystal:

NYC Anarchist Black Cross

NYC Anarchist Black Cross is a collective
focused on supporting US-held political
prisoners and prisoners of war and opposing
state repression against revolutionary social
justice movements.

NYCABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc@riseup.net
nycabc.wordpress.com

venmo @nycabe
instagram/twitter/tikiok/bluesky @nycabe
facebook.com/nycabe

Peppy and Krystal

T wo anarchists who have been the sub-|
ject of government repression and need
your support.