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Press Release

Cocoa Man Arrested For Making Threats To Destroy Courthouse Building Using An Explosive Device

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Oran Orval Dawsey (37, Cocoa) with making threats to destroy a building using an explosive device. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.   

According to the criminal complaint, on the morning of September 22, 2015, an individual made a telephone call to the Moore Justice Center, a state court building in Brevard County, and stated that a bomb was located inside the courthouse. In response, the building was evacuated and bomb squad officers from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office searched the building for an explosive device. Although no such explosive were located, all official business in the court building was suspended.

Investigators later determined that, on the morning the bomb threat was made, Dawsey failed to appear for a scheduled court appearance at the Moore Justice Center in a criminal case for which he was facing a possible prison sentence. Dawsey was later identified as the person who made the bomb threat and, on October 1, 2015, he confessed to investigators that he had called in the bomb threat in order to get his court date postponed.    

A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Updated December 2, 2015

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