Kearny Man Pleads Guilty to Making Hoax Bomb Threat to City of Passaic

NEWARK—A Kearny, New Jersey man today admitted making a hoax bomb threat to the city of Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Caesar Canchucaja, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging him with knowingly providing false information indicating that damage by means of an explosive would take place.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Canchucaja called the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness on November 24, 2011—Thanksgiving Day—falsely identifying another individual as an associate of an alleged New York City bomb plotter and falsely stating that the individual was planning to blow something up in the city of Passaic at approximately 5 p.m. that day. No explosive devices were discovered.

The charge of making a hoax bomb threat is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2012.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents with the FBI-Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward; the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness; and the Passaic Police Department with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce M. Malliet of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.

Indiana Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Staging Violent Phone Calls to Victim in Conspiracy to Extort at Least $54,000

CHICAGO—An Indiana couple who engaged in a cruel hoax were sentenced to federal prison for an extortion conspiracy in which they obtained more than $54,000 from a Chicago victim they knew by pretending that the husband was and would continue to torture his wife and her two young daughters if the victim did not pay him. Juan Hacha and his wife, Ixchel Guadalupe Solano, were sentenced to 87 and 42 months, respectively, after a hearing in U.S. District Court, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today.

U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo imposed the sentences yesterday in federal court after a hearing in which the victim testified and recorded telephone conversations of the extortion threats were admitted. The judge also ordered restitution of $54,834 to the victim. Hacha, 32, and Solano, 30, both formerly of Hammond, have been in federal custody since they were arrested last September. Both pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy and communicating extortion threats by phone.

Between April and September, 2011, Hacha and Solano repeatedly manipulated and emotionally tortured the victim—a man Solano knew and who had previously expressed romantic interest in her not knowing that she was married to Hacha—by demanding thousands of dollars while Hacha described the horrific violence that he was and would continue to inflict upon Solano and her two daughters, whose well-being the victim cared about. In some of the more than 25 extortion calls, Solano cried and screamed as if she was in excruciating pain, telling the victim that she had been shot in the leg, that her fingers had been broken, that she did not know where her children were, and begging the victim to help her and her daughters. At the same time, Hacha threatened to brutally kill the victim and his family if he did not receive the money he demanded.

In all, Hacha and Solano demanded approximately $75,000 and obtained at least $54,834 from the victim as a result of their threats. The victim testified in court yesterday that his life was ruined by his fear for the safety of himself and his family, as well as the safety of Solano and her two children.

After the victim turned to law enforcement for help and the conversations with Solano purporting to scream in pain were recorded, FBI agents and local police, who at the time were concerned that her injuries were real, found and arrested the couple at a restaurant in Munster, Indiana, discovering that the purported violence was a hoax.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennie Levin.

Hogsett Announces Guilty Plea of Federal Inmate Following Death Threats, Anthrax Hoax

More Results as U.S. Attorney’s Office Focuses on Protecting Federal Prison Staff and Officials

TERRE HAUTE—Joseph H. Hogsett, the United States Attorney, announced today that Michael F. Disch, age 43, has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to charges of mailing threatening communications. This follows an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Joint Terrorism Task Force.

“This office made a commitment last year to do all within our power to ensure the safety of all those who work in or around the federal prison system,” Hogsett said. “In addition, hoax cases such as this one also highlight the importance of remaining ever-vigilant of the very real threat that terrorism poses in this day and age.”

Documents filed with the court indicate that in July 2009, Disch mailed a threatening letter to the Honorable Senior Judge Larry J. McKinney, a federal judge in Terre Haute. The letter contained what was later determined to be an inert white powdery substance with instructions to “Smell this and Die.” Disch wrote that he would pay a person to find out where Judge McKinney lived and would have him and members of his family killed.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia J. Ridgeway, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Disch faces a sentence of up to eight years in federal prison.

A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Michigan Man Sentenced for Bomb Threat

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Patrick G. Bassett, 59, of Marquette, Michigan, who pleaded guilty to a bomb hoax, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that an investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) revealed that on February 6, 2011, Bassett called Fairport High School in Fairport, New York from Michigan. The defendant left a voicemail message stating that there was a bomb in the girls locker room. At the time, Bassett believed that the daughter of his ex-girlfriend was attending Fairport High School and he made the threat because of past issues with his ex-girlfriend. As a result of the threat, students were kept on buses and in classrooms while the building was searched. No bomb was found.

“This office takes a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bomb threats or hoaxes,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Where, as here, the hoax threatens our children, our office will continue to request that the court impose a substantial prison sentence both as a punishment for the offender, and as a deterrent to others.”

Bassett also admitted that, since approximately 2001, he made numerous telephone calls and sent letters to his ex-girlfriend and her family which they found to be threatening and harassing.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota.

Woman Charged with Hoax for Making Anonymous Call to Airline Implicating Her Former Boyfriend and His Companions in Terrorist Threat

A Temple City woman was taken into custody this morning on charges that she provided false information suggesting that French visitors, one of whom she had been romantically involved, posed a threat to a plane they were scheduled to board at LAX, announced Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles, and André Birotte Jr., the United States Attorney in Los Angeles.

Lizet Sariol, 45, of Temple City, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles with providing false and misleading information; specifically, fabricating a terrorist threat to United Airlines (UA) on September 25th, 2011, a violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1038.

The complaint alleges that Sariol intentionally conveyed false and misleading information to a customer service representative at United Airlines (UA) when she made an anonymous phone call to the UA call center based in Detroit, Michigan. During the call, Sariol advised that a woman and two men with whom she was acquainted, as well as two others not further identified, posed a threat to a flight they were scheduled to board later that day. When questioned further by the UA representative, Sariol advised that she received a threatening text message, ostensibly from one of the men, which led her to believe that the group posed a threat. Sariol further advised that the individuals were “foreigners” and that she intended to alert officials at the airport about the threat.

The United Airlines representative considered the information credible and UA took immediate action by contacting government officials. Representatives with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirmed the itineraries of the passengers identified by Sariol for the flight in question, and an investigation into the terrorist threat was initiated by the FBI. When the UA representative was interviewed, he advised investigators that the call made him “real nervous” and that the context in which the threat was conveyed by Sariol led him to believe that a bomb could be on the plane.

Prior to the flight’s departure, FBI investigators located the men whose names Sariol provided upon their arrival for their scheduled flight at LAX. The men explained they had been vacationing in the U.S. since July 2011 and that, during that time, one of them engaged in a romantic relationship with Sariol. The man further explained that he ended the relationship with Sariol hours the night before. The man told investigators that he believed Sariol incriminated him and his companions because she was unhappy about the relationship ending.

Investigators determined that Sariol sent a series of text messages telephonically and to the Facebook accounts of the men expressing her displeasure with their actions toward her, and advising of her intention to report them to law enforcement for unspecified activity. Sariol implied that she reported the men to the FBI and that she “hoped” they had good attorneys. Through her text messages, Sariol suggested that her close ties with law enforcement would ensure the men would be arrested and would not be allowed to return to the U.S. In one message, Sariol texted the following, “Already called the airlines considered you all terrorists including annie,” according to the complaint.

FBI investigators determined the travelers implicated by Sariol did not pose a threat to the airline and subsequently interviewed Sariol. During the interview, Sariol admitted to investigators that some of her messages may have been a mistake. Sariol acknowledged that her anonymous phone call to United Airlines was made in anger and was meant to sound suspicious, according to the complaint.

Sariol surrendered to the FBI this morning and appeared before a United States Magistrate in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Bond was set at $20,000.

If convicted of the charge, Sariol faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of TSA and United Airlines. Sariol is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Iowa Man Sentenced for Providing False Information Related to Terrorist Hoax

Most terrorist threats are not hoaxes! See the homeland security books written by real FBI and DHS counterterrorism agents and learn how to fight domestic terrorism.

ROCK ISLAND, IL—U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced a Bettendorf, Iowa, man, Don Lawrence Asheim, to serve 30 months (two and a half years) in federal prison for providing false information related to a terrorist hoax in Moline in April 2010. Asheim, 60, of the 2500 block of Devils Glen Road, was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,585, and to reimburse the Moline Fire Department in the amount of $4,627, for response and clean up expenses. Asheim was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Jan. 17, 2012, to begin serving his sentence. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Asheim was ordered to remain on supervised release for three years.

On June 10, 2011, Asheim entered an open plea to an indictment that charged him with placing a white powdery substance in an envelope addressed to the attention of an individual at the IRS. The envelope was discovered on April 30, 2010, during a routine collection of outgoing mail at the Deere & Company facility, located at 501 River Drive in Moline. As a result, the Deere facility was locked down, employees quarantined for a time, and a hazardous materials response team responded to the scene. Testing of the substance determined that the white powder was harmless.

The envelope also contained Asheim’s tax bill, which Asheim admitted he had altered to remove and obliterate his personally identifiable information to conceal his identity. Asheim further admitted that he had written various hostile and profane statements on the tax bill and placed it in the envelope in the box designated for outgoing mail at the Deere & Company facility.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration - Office of Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and, the Moline Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko.

Former Security Guard Sentenced to Prison for Making Hoax Bomb Threats to Secaucus, New Jersey NBA Office

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NEWARK, NJ—A private security guard contracted by NBA Properties, Inc. (NBA Properties), an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), was sentenced today to six months in prison and six months of home detention with electronic monitoring for making several hoax bomb threats to a Secaucus, N.J., NBA Properties office, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

José Quesada, 20, of Elizabeth, N.J., previously pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with knowingly providing false information indicating that malicious damage by means of an explosive would take place. The defendant—who had been hired to provide office security for the building—entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge José L. Linares, who also imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to the Information to which Quesada pleaded guilty and statements made in Newark federal court:

Quesada made several calls to the NBA Properties office from his cell phone over a twoday period beginning July 26, 2010, leaving multiple voice-mail messages saying that he was going to blow up the building and kill people. In one July 26 call, Quesada stated: “. . . I put a bomb outside. . . Gonna kill all the NBA. . . . There’s a bomb outside the complex in the parking lot. I put a bomb outside in the bush. No way out. Gonna blow up at 9:00 o’clock in the morning. Good luck. . . If you come out, it will blow up . . . ”

Due to Quesada’s actions, the building was evacuated while law enforcement and K-9 units searched the area for hours. No explosive devices were discovered. Additional security measures were put in place following the threats.

In addition to the prison term and home detention, Judge Linares sentenced the defendant to serve five years of supervised release.

U.S. Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and the Secaucus Police Department with the investigation. He also praised the Hudson County and Secaucus Offices of Emergency Management for their response to the threat.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce M. Malliet of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Donald J. McCauley Esq., Newark

Bomb Scare False Alarm Reveals Black Money Scam

Frank Montoya, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Honolulu Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is warning the public about a scam targeting Hawaii residents commonly known as the Black Money Scam. Two individuals claiming to be from the African nation of Liberia are wanted for questioning in relation to this fraud scheme.

On Friday 11/4/2011, the FBI received a tip that two suspicious males had rented a Honolulu storage locker for cash for the purpose of storing two large suitcases. The FBI contacted the Honolulu Police and Fire Departments who performed a safety inspection of the unit and determined that there were no explosives or dangerous materials inside.

On the evening of Saturday 11/5/2011, the FBI obtained a search warrant to open the bags. Inside the bags, the FBI discovered hundreds of pounds of black paper cut into the size of U.S. currency bills.

By way of background, the Black Money Scam is a well-known fraud wherein black construction paper is presented to a victim as being actual U.S. currency dyed black through a chemical process. The con-man represents that he needs money to obtain another chemical that will wash off the black dye and render the U.S. currency back to its normal state. The victim is asked for money to buy the chemical in exchange for half of the black paper. After the money is given to the con-man, the victim is given the black paper, and the con-man disappears with the victim’s money. The paper held by the victim is simply black construction paper with no currency value. The Black Money Scam is described in detail on a Wikipedia entry and on several You Tube videos.

The Honolulu FBI wishes to warn the public about this scam and is asking for recent victims to step forward. Furthermore, the two individuals depicted in the attached photo are wanted for questioning by the FBI.

The public is reminded that the individuals depicted in the attached photo are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

FBI, National City Police Department, and San Diego Sheriff’s Department Seek Public’s Assistance to Identify Hoax Bomb Suspects

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The FBI, Chula Vista Police Department, and San Diego Sheriff’s Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the individuals responsible for threatening to use a bomb during an attempted robbery of the Chase Bank, 1130 East Plaza Boulevard, National City, California, on Thursday, October 6, 2011.

On Thursday, October 6, 2011, at approximately 9:12 a.m., the Chase Bank, 1130 East Plaza Boulevard, National City, California, was the victim of an attempted bank robbery involving a hoax bomb threat.

At approximately 9:12 a.m., a call was received by an employee working inside of the Chase Bank, 1130 East Plaza Boulevard, National City, California. The caller, believed to be a male, told the employee to place $100,000 cash inside of a green bag that was sitting near a red bag. The employee was then directed to place the bag near an object outside of the bank. The caller threatened to use a bomb if the employee did not comply with his demands. The employee alerted other employees inside of the bank, at which time the bank was evacuated and law enforcement contacted

At about the same time the call was received at the bank, an unknown female wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt and dark sweatpants, was observed carrying a red sports like bag and a green like shopping bag right outside of the bank. The suspect dropped both bags inside of the bank lobby door and walked away heading west across the parking lot. The suspect was observed removing the hooded sweatshirt and pants. The hooded sweatshirt and pants were recovered under a parked car in a nearby parking lot.

Witnesses describe the female suspect as follows:

■Sex: Female

■Race: Black
■Age: Unknown
■Height: Approximately 5’6” to 5’7”
■ Weight: Approximately 145 lbs. to 170 lbs.
■ Build: Heavy
■Hair/Coloring: Unknown
■Clothing: Dark blue hooded sweatshirt and dark blue sweatpants

Anyone with information concerning this attempted robbery is asked to contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 565-1255 or Crimestoppers at (888) 580-8477. You may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 by calling either telephone number.

Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Providing False Information Related to Terrorist Hoax

ROCK ISLAND, IL—Sentencing has been scheduled for October for a Bettendorf, Iowa, man who pled guilty today to providing false information related to a terrorist hoax in Moline in April 2010. Don Lawrence Asheim, 59, of the 2500 block of Devils Glen Road, appeared this morning before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid in Rock Island.

Asheim entered an open plea to an indictment that charged him with placing a white powdery substance in an envelope addressed to the attention of an individual at the Internal Revenue Service. The envelope was discovered on April 30, 2010, during a routine collection of outgoing mail at the Deere & Company facility, located at 501 River Drive in Moline. As a result, the Deere facility was locked down, employees quarantined for a time, and a hazardous materials response team responded to the scene. Testing of the substance determined that the white powder was harmless.

The envelope also contained Asheim’s tax bill, which Asheim admitted he had altered to remove and obliterate his personally identifiable information to conceal his identity. Asheim further admitted that he had written various hostile and profane statements on the tax bill and placed it in the envelope in the box designated for outgoing mail at the Deere & Company facility.

Sentencing has been scheduled on October 14. The offense carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration—Office of Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and, the Moline Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko.