Individual Indicted And Arrested For Making False Statements

SAN JUAN, P.R. – Today, a Federal Grand Jury returned a one-count indictment charging Gabriel Osorio-Cotto of providing false information and hoaxes to the Puerto Rico 9-1-1 Emergency Services, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. Osorio-Cotto was arrested yesterday by agents from the Puerto Rico Police Department and the FBI.

Yesterday, September 10, at approximately 2:47 PM, a call was received by the PR 911 Center where an individual stated that an explosion would occur on a JetBlue flight at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport at 6pm.  The call originated from a public phone booth at 2001 Americo Miranda.  When special agents reported to the site they found that the business around the telephone booth had camera surveillance. The video was reviewed and it showed an individual making the call, who was later identified as Gabriel Osorio-Cotto.  The airport operations were affected and the airport was screened for explosives due to this threat.

If convicted, defendant faces up to five years in prison, and fines up to $250,000.00. The case was investigated by the FBI and Police of Puerto and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.     

Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.