Louisville Man Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Downtown Louisville Bomb Threat Hoax

Louisville, KY – A local man was sentenced today to 2 years and 9 months in federal prison for a downtown Louisville bomb threat hoax. 

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

According to court records, Jimmy Smith, Jr., 50, was sentenced today to 2 years and 9 months in prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for providing false information and a bomb threat hoax. On August 12, 2022, Smith rode a bicycle in downtown Louisville while carrying a backpack. He placed an item in a high-traffic, business area of downtown Louisville near the riverfront. The package was labeled “bomb.” The Louisville Metro Police Department bomb squad dismantled the “device” and determined that it was not operational. However, a significant area of downtown Louisville had to be shut down for several hours to clear the device.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case.

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