Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Making a Bomb Threat on a Plane

Tampa, Florida – Taj Malik Taylor (27, Madison Heights, VA) has pleaded guilty to one count of false information and making threats. Taylor faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to the plea agreement, on July 6, 2025, Taylor was a passenger on an aircraft en route from the Saint Pete-Clearwater International Airport in Florida to the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Virginia. The plane was in the air and had just left Saint Pete-Clearwater International Airport when Taylor stated out loud that his laptop was a bomb. Several passengers heard Taylor make this statement. Taylor made the statement knowing that the information was false and with reckless disregard for the safety of human life. The flight crew rerouted the flight back to Saint Pete-Clearwater Airport because of Taylor’s statement.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.