Former Pittsburgh regatta promoter charged with DUI

A Ross man blamed for the cancellation of this year’s Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta is facing charges of public lewdness and drunken driving, according to a criminal complaint.

Ross police charged Derek Weber, 44, after receiving a report of a man urinating outside of a vehicle at a parking lot in the 4000 block of McKnight Road. Weber’s blood-alcohol level was 0.31%, nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08%, according to the complaint.

Weber is president of LionHeart Event Group, which promoted the Pittsburgh regatta for years. Regatta officials canceled the weekend event on July 30, three days before it was scheduled to start, saying Weber misled them about payments to vendors, and insurance, among other things. LionHeart has since filed for bankruptcy.

Weber could not be reached for comment.

“I can confirm it is him, but I will have no comment until I have an opportunity to view the criminal complaint, which I have not done,” said Weber’s attorney, Albert P. Veverka.

According to the complaint, police found Weber on Oct. 2 sitting in a running vehicle at a shopping plaza along McKnight Road with an empty liquor bottle under his seat. A woman, who called police, reported she witnessed Weber urinating in the lot.

Weber failed three sobriety tests before being arrested, according to police. Ross police officer Jason Gilotty filed charges on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh police in July launched a criminal investigation into LionHeart following the regatta cancellation. The company owes regatta sponsors and service providers — including city police and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office — nearly $750,000, according to bankruptcy documents.