Murrysville Lawyer Testifies in Alleged Road Rage Case Amid Ongoing Custody Dispute

On April 17, 2026, Brad Funari, a partner at the Reed Smith law firm in Pittsburgh, took the stand in his nonjury trial before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger. Funari faces criminal charges stemming from an incident on September 4, 2023, near his estranged wife’s former home in Murrysville. He is charged with one misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment and a summary offense of careless driving.

During more than two hours of testimony, Funari maintained that the encounter was a “nonevent” and denied allegations that he used his vehicle as a weapon or intentionally endangered others. He asserted that his former wife, Mira Gornick, and her father fabricated the claims to gain an advantage in their ongoing custody battle over their five children.

According to Funari, the criminal case is part of a broader conspiracy involving his ex-wife and local police to strengthen her position in the contentious divorce proceedings. His defense attorney, Mike DeRiso, argued that the allegations were motivated by the custody dispute and characterized them as a tactical maneuver rather than a legitimate criminal act.

Gornick testified earlier in the week that she was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her father when Funari blocked their path, accelerated toward their car, and forced them to swerve to avoid a collision. She said she feared for her safety and that of two of their children, who were passengers in Funari’s vehicle at the time. A 911 call made during the incident was played in court, in which Gornick stated she and her family were frightened.

Funari is not charged with making physical contact with anyone, and no injuries were reported in the incident. The trial concluded on Thursday, with Judge Krieger expected to deliver a verdict on Friday.

The case has drawn attention due to the high-profile nature of the individuals involved and the intersection of family law and criminal allegations. As of the trial’s conclusion, no additional evidence supporting claims of a police conspiracy had been presented by the defense.