Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years for Bomb Threat and Child Pornography

OKLAHOMA CITY –  ROBERT SHANE APGAR, 35, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to 235 months in prison for making a bomb threat and sending child pornography.

According to the first count of a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on July 18, 2017, Apgar used the Internet on December 1, 2015, to send false information about an attempt to bomb the Grady County Courthouse.  An affidavit filed on May 2, 2017, explains that this threat was made anonymously to the FBI by email and triggered precautions at the Grady County Sheriff’s Office.  The email stated that the bombing would be carried out by a person later identified as Apgar’s estranged ex-wife, whom he had threatened before.

On December 8, 2015, after further investigation, the FBI executed a search warrant at an Oklahoma City residence where Apgar was living with his mother.  The search yielded pornographic images of prepubescent children from October 2015.  According to Count 2 of the indictment, Apgar attempted to persuade, induce, and entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of transmitting video images of that conduct.  According to Count 3, Apgar used a facility of interstate commerce to send images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  And according to Count 4, Apgar possessed images of that sort with intent to view them after they had been sent through a means of interstate commerce.  The three child pornography counts were the result of an undercover operation by the St. Charles County Police Department in Missouri.

Apgar has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since August 2017.  On October 2, 2017, he pleaded guilty to making a bomb threat and sending child pornography.  The government agreed to dismiss the remaining two counts involving child pornography.

Today U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Apgar to 235 months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender.  The court explained this sentence is required to protect the public.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the St. Charles County (Missouri) Police Department, with the assistance of the Grady County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale.

Reference is made to court filings for further information.