Jury convicts ex-Northeastern University employee who staged bomb hoax

June 29 (UPI) -- A federal jury convicted a former Northeastern University employee for staging a fake bomb threat on the university's Boston campus two years ago.

On Friday, Jason Duhaime, 46, of San Antonio, was found guilty of one felony count of intentionally conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive device and two counts of making materially false statements to a federal law enforcement agent.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2. The three felony charges each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

"Bomb hoaxes like the one the defendant fabricated here have real-life consequences," Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy said in a statement. "Communities are put in fear, law enforcement personnel are diverted from other important duties and there are significant financial repercussions.

"As we experience a wave of bomb hoaxes in schools, houses of worship and other gathering places, we will work closely with our local, state and federal partners to hold accountable anyone who tries to inject fear and distress into our community."

In September 2022, while serving as director of the Immersive Media Lab at Northeastern's Boston Campus, Duhaime called 911 to report he was injured by shrapnel expelled from a plastic suitcase he opened inside the lab, according to the Justice Department.

Duhaime claimed to dispatchers that he and a student worker had collected several packages from a mail area and brought them into the lab.

He also claimed the case that injured him contained an anonymous violent note, which read "In the case you got today we could have planted explosives but not this time!!! Take notice!!! You have two months to take operations down or else!!!!! WE ARE WATCHING YOU."

The false report triggered a response from the Boston Police Department's bomb squad, multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies, and the evacuation of a portion of the campus.

Investigators, however, found no evidence of explosive material at the scene and that Duhaime's injuries were not consistent with someone hit by an explosion.

A forensic analysis of one of the laptops in Duhaime's office found a word-for-word electronic copy of the anonymous threat letter he claimed was inside the case.

According to court documents, the letter was created and printed just hours before Duhaime made the call to 911.

Duhaime was arrested nearly a month later. Authorities did not speculate a motive for the crime.