Michigan – Last week, a 23-year-old man from Monroe, Michigan, was arrested for allegedly making a fake bomb threat that caused a Spirit Airlines aircraft to be delayed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
In a statement, federal officials confirmed that John Charles Robinson made the terrifying call on June 5 at 5:30 a.m. Robinson called Spirit Airlines around 6:25 a.m. and said he had information about Flight 2145, which was supposed to leave for Los Angeles, California.
The criminal complaint says that he warned about “someone who’s gonna try to blow up the airport” and that the individual would be able to get a device past TSA security without being detected. His words raised immediate red flags, leading the airline to cancel the flight as a safety measure.
Bomb-sniffing dogs and FBI agents searched the plane thoroughly after passengers and crew were evacuated. There were no bombs detected, and no one was hurt.
Soon, investigators found out that Robinson had originally booked the exact ticket he had just reported. He apparently missed his flight and was told to rebook at the gate. FBI officers arrested him as he went back to the airport to catch a different flight to Los Angeles.
“No American wants to hear the words ‘bomb’ and ‘airplane’ in the same sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. “Making this kind of threat undermines our collective sense of security and wastes valuable law enforcement resources.”
Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, echoed those sentiments, stating,
“The alleged bomb threat prompted a coordinated response by our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force, in partnership with the Wayne County Airport Authority Police Department and the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service, leading to the arrest of John Robinson as he attempted to board another flight at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. We remain committed to protecting the public and confronting those who seek to spread fear in our communities,” Gibson said.
Robinson appeared before a federal judge in Detroit later that day and was released on bond. A preliminary court hearing is scheduled for June 27.
The FBI’s Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force led the investigation in coordination with the Wayne County Airport Authority Police Department and the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon and Douglas Salzenstein are handling the prosecution.