Current:Home > InvestA man accused in a Harvard bomb threat and extortion plot is sentenced to 3 years probation -Excel Wealth Summit
A man accused in a Harvard bomb threat and extortion plot is sentenced to 3 years probation
View
Date:2025-04-16 22:49:55
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — A New Hampshire man accused of participating in a plot in which a caller issued bomb threats last year to Harvard University and demanded a large amount of bitcoin was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation.
The threats caused the evacuation of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza and surrounding academic buildings, and the controlled detonation of what was later determined to be a hoax device on April 13, 2023, according to prosecutors.
William Giordani, 55, was arrested last year on charges including making an extortionate bomb threat. That charge was dropped, and he pleaded guilty to one count of concealing a federal felony, effectively knowing about a felony and not reporting it, according to his lawyer.
Giordani had faced a sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000. Prosecutors instead recommended a sentence of up to three years’ probation.
Prosecutors said at the time that they agreed to accept Giordani’s guilty plea in part because they believed he had been pulled into the plot after he responded to a Craigslist ad. They also said they believed his response to the ad was driven in part by a drug habit and that he has made efforts to remain in a recovery program.
The case stems from an episode last April when Harvard University’s police department received a warning from a caller electronically disguising their voice saying bombs had been placed on campus.
The caller demanded an unspecified amount in Bitcoin to prevent the remote detonation of the bombs, prosecutors said. Only one hoax device was discovered.
Investigators said Giordani responded to the Craigslist ad looking for someone to purchase fireworks in New Hampshire and pick up some other items in Massachusetts — including wire, a metal locking safe and a bag — and deliver the items to his son at Harvard.
After Giordani collected the items, the individual said his son was unable to meet him and he should leave the bag with the items on a bench in a science plaza area at the school. Police later destroyed those items.
Investigators said that at some point Giordani began to harbor suspicions that the items could be used to construct a bomb, pointing to deleted text messages where he acknowledged it could be bomb material. In another text to his girlfriend, Giordani said, “I got scammed,” police said.
Giordani also took steps to hide from police after they made attempts to reach him in order not to reveal his role in delivering the bag, investigators said.
There were no injuries.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Why Jillian Michaels Is Predicting a Massive Fallout From Ozempic Craze
- Mourners fill church to remember the Iowa principal who risked life to save kids in school shooting
- Mariska Hargitay Reveals the Secret to Decades-Long Marriage With Peter Hermann
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- The Ravens are ready to give Dalvin Cook a shot, but there’s no telling what to expect
- Women and children are main victims of Gaza war, with 16,000 killed, UN says
- State-backed Russian hackers accessed senior Microsoft leaders' emails, company says
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Christian McCaffrey’s 2nd TD rallies the 49ers to 24-21 playoff win over Jordan Love and the Packers
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Real Housewives of New Jersey Star Melissa Gorga Shares Cozy Essentials To Warm Up Your Winter
- New Rust shooting criminal charges filed against Alec Baldwin for incident that killed Halyna Hutchins
- Hey Now, These Lizzie McGuire Secrets Are What Dreams Are Made Of
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, created to combat winter, became a cultural phenomenon
- Lamar Jackson has failed to find NFL playoff success. Can Ravens QB change the narrative?
- Sports Illustrated lays off most or all of its workers, union says
Recommendation
US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
Reformed mobster went after ‘one last score’ when he stole Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from ‘Oz’
Inside Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet's Very Public Yet Private Romance
Ohio State lands Caleb Downs, the top-ranked player in transfer portal who left Alabama
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
Six-legged spaniel undergoes surgery to remove extra limbs and adjusts to life on four paws
Sports Illustrated may be on life support, but let me tell you about its wonderful life
Aridity Could Dry Up Southwestern Mine Proposals