Big Spring Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Bomb Threat Hoax

LUBBOCK, TX—Jordan Weston Hamilton, 24, of Big Spring, Texas, appeared yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings and pleaded guilty to the federal charge of false information and hoaxes, stemming from a bomb threat he made in December 2012. Hamilton, who remains in custody, faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Judge Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with a sentencing date to be set after the completion of that report. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to documents filed in the case, on December 17, 2012, at approximately 10:05 a.m., Hamilton called the Howard County, Texas 9-1-1 emergency call center. Hamilton admits that he intentionally conveyed false and misleading information to the emergency call center when he stated there was a bomb located in the science room at the Big Spring High School. Hamilton also admits that emergency officials in Big Spring, reasonably believing the false and misleading information he conveyed, evacuated and searched the Big Spring High School for a bomb. No bomb was located at the school.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Cunningham, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas.