Bryant Man Indicted on Extortion Charges
Threatened Benton Police Department and Boston FBI

LITTLE ROCK, AR—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, along with Randall C. Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Chief Kirk Lane of the Benton Police Department, announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Brandon Goodin, age 21, of Bryant, Arkansas, with two counts of attempted extortion in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951.

Count one of the indictment alleges that on April 11, 2013, Goodin sent an e-mail to the Benton Police Department threatening “to kill one person at random every following day” unless the Benton Police Department paid Goodin $7,000,000 in cash. Count two of the indictment alleges that on April 16, 2013, Goodin sent an e-mail to the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation threatening, “We have a lot of these bombs in place across the nation and we can blow them with little effort” unless the Federal Bureau of Investigation paid Goodin $400,000,000 in cash.

The penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951 is up to 20 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.

Goodin is in custody and will appear before United States Magistrate Judge H. David Young for plea and arraignment later this month, at which time a trial date will be set.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Benton Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.

An indictment contains only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.