Rochester Man Indicted for Making Bomb Threats against Kodak

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a four count indictment charging Omer Fadhel Saleh Mohammed, 31, of Rochester, N.Y., with making false bomb threats. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00 or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony M. Bruce, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on September 24, 2012, the defendant made three phone calls to 911 and told the operator that his acquaintances were terrorists and were going to blow up the Kodak Corporation. The indictment further alleges that Mohammed made a fourth call on January 24, 2013 claiming that an acquaintance had explosives hidden at a location in Rochester. The 911 calls resulted in emergency responses by the Rochester Police and Fire Departments and by Kodak security personnel, but searches failed to turn up any bombs or evidence that someone had attempted to plant a bomb at any of Kodak’s facilities.

Mohammed was arrested on February 4, 2013, based on a criminal complaint issued by Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and is currently in custody. No date has been set for his arraignment.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel.

            The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.