SGV man pleads guilty to sending bomb threat to security guard

A San Gabriel Valley man pleaded guilty Friday to sending a bomb threat to a fellow security guard at an El Monte bank last year and nearly two weeks later sending a fake threat to himself in an unsuccessful effort to evade detection by law enforcement.

Daniel Isaac Gonzalez, 23, of Montebello, pleaded guilty in downtown Los Angeles to one count of making a threat, and conveying false information, through interstate commerce to kill another person and to damage and destroy buildings by means of an explosive, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Like the man who received the bomb threat, Gonzalez was a security guard at the bank.

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U.S. District Judge Wesley L. Hsu scheduled an Oct. 25 sentencing hearing, at which time Gonzalez, who remains free on bond, will face up to 10 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

According to his plea agreement, on July 13, 2023, Gonzalez sent a bomb threat and conveyed false information via text to the victim, a security guard at Cathay Bank in El Monte -- the same bank where Gonzalez worked. The message falsely stated, "I put a bomb where u work ... I know where u work."

About two weeks later, Gonzalez sent another bomb threat via text, this time to his own work phone. The text message stated, "This Michael you did me dirty. I put a bomb by your job guy ... see you in hell."

Gonzalez admitted in his plea agreement that his threats caused a substantial disruption.

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