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Press Release

California Man Charged with Making Interstate Threat to Bomb Charlottesville Public School Buildings

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA – Lucas Isaiah Newton-Grant, a California man who previously lived in the City of Charlottesville, was arrested yesterday in California and charged with threatening to bomb Charlottesville City School buildings. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.

Newton-Grant, 27, of Rancho Mirage, Calif., was arrested yesterday morning and charged via a federal criminal complaint with one count of communicating interstate threats. Newton-Grant appeared before a magistrate judge in California late yesterday evening. He will now be transported to the Western District of Virginia for additional court proceedings.

According to court documents, on July 7, 2020, as Charlottesville City Schools were discussing re-opening plans for the fall, Newton-Grant, using the Facebook screenname, “Lucas Newton-Grant” threatened to become the next “serialbomber” and wanting to “blow those building up.”  

After being warned by someone online about making threatening comments, Newton-Grant responded, “I want them to come after me. They’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.” He further posted that “people will (expletive) die.”

The investigation of the case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case for the United States.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.       

Updated July 29, 2020