Pittsburgh Attorney Charged with Embezzling More Than $1.3 Million From Incline Preservation Society for Which He Served as Board President

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, attorney has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The 10-count Indictment named Christopher Furman, 53, of Pittsburgh, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, in 2020, Furman was selected President of the Board of Trustees for the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline-the organization that has operated the Duquesne Incline since the Society's founding in 1964-based on his history as a former employee of the incline and familiarity with the incline's mechanical operations, as well as his background as an attorney. In his role as President of the Board, Furman was neither authorized to view the Society's bank accounts nor to use its money for personal purposes. The Indictment alleges that, from October 2024 to September 2025, Furman transferred approximately $1,379,300 from the Society's bank accounts into his own account via more than 25 electronic transactions. Furman then transferred that money to an online cryptocurrency exchange and digital asset management platform, where he purchased and sold cryptocurrency for his personal profit.

At each count of wire fraud, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of the greater of $250,000 or an alternative of twice the gross pecuniary gain, or both. At each count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from wire fraud (money laundering), the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of the greater of $250,000 or an alternative of twice the amount of criminally derived property, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.