A 24-year-old man from Bend, Oregon, has pleaded guilty to placing a hoax bomb on 29 July, 2019, at the Deschutes County Courthouse. Jonathan Tyler Allen admitted to having conspired to employ a telephone to issue a threat to destroy a building using an explosive.
Allen is said to have a co-conspirator, 31-year-old Kellie Cameron, who is also a resident of bend.
Conspiring To Plant A 'Bomb'
The court documents state that around 28 July to 29 July, 2019, Allen and Cameron, engaged in a conspiracy to close down the Deschutes County Courthouse in Bend. They did so by planting a dummy bomb, followed by calling in a bomb threat.
During the same period, Cameron built a fake bomb. The supposed explosive device consisted of a circuit board, batteries, a fuel filter, and wiring, among other materials.
Planting The Explosive Device
Allen and Cameroon went to the courthouse on 29 July and placed the fake explosive device aboard a ramp near the courthouse. At around 7:18 am on the same day, Cameron, in the presence of Allen, placed a call to 911 using a cell phone.
"I just want to let you know that there are two bombs, one's in the courthouse and good luck finding the other one," Cameron told the operator. Within an hour, with Allen being present again, Cameron placed a second call to 911 and repeated the same threat. Later, Allen disposed of one of the phones used to make the threat calls in a canal in order to make sure it was not traced to him.
Facing Possible Prison Time
Allen and Cameron were charged on 7 August 2019, with a criminal complaint of conspiring to convey false information and hoaxes, and making a threat about explosive materials.
The possible punishment that Allen may receive includes a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He also faces a supervised release of three years. His sentence is set for 6 September, 2020.
