Lawton Man Sentenced To 33 Months, $26,000 Restitution For Use Of Telephone To Make Bomb Threat

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Roger Christopher Simpson, age 45, of Lawton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release for Use Of Telephone To Make Bomb Threat, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e). The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $26,529.14. The charges arose from an investigation by the Seminole Police Department, the Seminole County Sherriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On January 22, 2019 the defendant called a business in Seminole, Oklahoma and left a voicemail that said there was a bomb in a car parked in the parking lot of the business. As a result, the facility was locked down and law enforcement agencies responded. They searched and cleared the parking lot and no bomb was located. As a result of the bomb threat, the business was closed for four hours and production halted.  

United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Bomb threats are not taken lightly. Law enforcement agencies respond in force to ensure the safety of the public. Businesses shut down to prevent injury to employees and customers. The defendant’s call caused law enforcement resources to be expended and lost time, production, and money for the business, not to mention the emotional toll on all involved. I hope his sentence will serve as a deterrent to him and a reminder to others who might be inclined to make such a call – bomb threats are no laughing matter.”

               

The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Clay Compton represented the United States.