Chicago Man Sentenced For Mailing Bomb Threats And Threats Of Violence Against Southern Illinois University

The Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today that Derrick Dawon Burns, 23, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced in federal court in reference to four federal charges stemming from a series of bomb threats and threats of violence directed toward the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) students, faculty and staff on October 10, 2012, October 15, 2012, December 6, 2012, and October 1, 2013. Three of these letters were entitled "The War on SIU." Each letter was addressed to a combination of the following targets: Southern Illinois University, staff, students, SIU police, and the FBI. The United States District Court in Benton sentenced Burns to 24 months’ imprisonment, two years supervised release, and a $400 special assessment

The investigation was conducted by the SIUC Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistance was provided by the Carbondale Police Department, the Illinois Secretary of State Bomb Squad, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, and the Illinois State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Coonan.