A Georgia man is facing up to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a bomb threat that targeted a Savannah office park housing a federal courthouse.
Mohammed Arafat Afaneh, 28, of Savannah, admitted to the charge of False Information and Hoaxes, according to Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In addition to a potential five-year prison sentence, Afaneh could face substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release after serving any prison time. There is no parole in the federal system.
Read: Indiana Man Sentenced For Poisoning Wife’s Soda In Plot To Marry Her Daughter
“Bomb threats terrorize innocent people and needlessly burden first responders with identifying and investigating the reported danger,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Such threats exacerbate tensions in a world already on edge; this defendant and any other person considering a similar course of conduct will face serious consequences for their actions.”
According to court documents, on November 17, 2023, Afaneh posted a message on social media claiming there was a bomb inside the WTOC Center on Chatham Parkway that would detonate at 3 p.m.
The post led to the evacuation of the office park, which houses the federal courthouse and a television station. Multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Savannah Police Department, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the threat, which was later determined to be a hoax.
Read: Lakeland Detectives Targeted And Ambushed In Shooting, Suspects Arrested In Tampa
Afaneh was eventually arrested on unrelated state charges in Louisville, Kentucky, and was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.
“We will not normalize violent threats in America, whether targeting businesses, federal courthouses, or average citizens,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “The FBI will pursue to the fullest extent of the law anyone who threatens violence.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and L. Alexander Hamner.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Android Users: Download our free app to stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.