| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 15, 2008 WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/CAN |
SAN FRANCISCO – United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced that Devon Craft was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for placing numerous 9-1-1 emergency calls threatening to blow-up San Francisco City Hall and the Westfield Shopping Mall in San Francisco.
Mr. Craft, 22, of Oakland, CA, pleaded guilty on May 13, 2008 to one count of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e), Threatening to Destroy Property by Explosives. According to the plea agreement, Mr. Craft admitted that on July 13, 2006, he used a cellular telephone to place four 9-1-1 calls threatening “terrorist attacks” in San Francisco. He admitted that he tried to disguise his voice by using a Middle Eastern accent in threatening to blow-up San Francisco City Hall, the San Francisco Westfield Shopping Mall on Market Street, and the “Tribune.” During the calls, Mr. Craft also stated that innocent people would die.
Mr. Craft was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 30, 2006. He was charged with two counts of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e).
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Marilyn Hall Patel. Judge Patel also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant is currently serving unrelated state prison sentences for theft and robbery convictions resulting from criminal conduct that occurred in Alameda County in the fall of 2006. The 30-month sentence imposed today was ordered to run consecutively to those state court sentences.
Derek Owens and Nathaneal Cousins are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Hui Chen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Further Information:
Case #: CR 06-0776 MHP
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