A New Hampshire man pled guilty Wednesday for his role in a “series of extortionate bomb threats” against Harvard University in April 2023, the Department of Justice announced.
William Giordani, 55, pled guilty in Boston federal court to one count of concealing a federal felony. He was arrested last May and indicted by a federal grand jury in June.
The initial charge against Giordani was dropped in exchange for his pleading guilty in federal court to knowing about a felony and not reporting it to authorities, his lawyer told NBC Boston.
According to the DOJ, on April 13, 2023, Giordani placed a large tool bag in Harvard’s Science Center Plaza, which contained a locked safe holding fireworks and wires. There were students and other people gathered nearby.
Then, a person using a voice changing app called the Harvard University Police Department to tell them that the caller had placed three bombs on campus.
The caller told police that if they did not transfer an unspecified amount of Bitcoin, then the bombs would be remotely detonated, according to a DOJ news release. The caller repeatedly placed calls to police telling them they were serious about the attacks and where to find the first of the bombs — in the Science Center Plaza.
Upon finding the bag placed by Giordani in the plaza, the HUPD issued an emergency evacuation of the area and nearby buildings, the DOJ said, adding that a bomb squad from the Cambridge Police Department disabled the device and that no others were found on campus that day.
Investigators found Giordani was recruited to join the scheme from an ad on Craigslist.
The DOJ said that once he knew about the ploy, he “had an obligation” to report it. Instead, “he deleted incriminating text messages, told his girlfriend not to speak to anyone about it and went on the run from police,” the DOJ said.
Giordani faces up to three years in prison and one year of supervised release for the felony charge. His sentencing is set for April 25.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
