A Peruvian man was detained in Peru on suspicion of sending more than 150 hoax bomb threats to institutions of higher education, airports, and a synagogue in the United States.
According to the Ministry of Justice of Peru, 33-year-old Eddie Manuel Nez Santos was taken into custody by Peruvian authorities on Tuesday in the city of Lima.
According to a complaint that was made public in New York on Thursday, Santos was charged with a number of federal crimes, one of which was the transmission of threats over state lines via interstate communications. Other charges include providing false information and perpetrating hoaxes.
In addition to that, Santos was charged with making an attempt to receive and fabricate photographs of child abuse.
According to the authorities, Santos sent a number of threats to sites in a variety of states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Connecticut, between the dates of September 15 and September 21.
“I have planted several explosives in each and every one of the schools that are under the jurisdiction of your School Districts. The devices will detonate in a couple of hours’ time. The phrase “I’ll gladly smile when your families are crying because of your deaths” was written in one of the threats that Santos addressed to a school district in Pennsylvania.
At least 1,100 students were forced to leave their schools in 20 different school districts across the state of Pennsylvania because of purported hoax threats issued from Santos.
Under the guise of the moniker “Lucas,” Santos pretended to be a male teenager of 15 years of age and constantly sought younger people for nude photographs.
After the juveniles in question refused to provide Santos photographs or break off contact with him, he resorted to making bomb threats against their respective schools.
Not only is it alleged that Santos sent hundreds of bogus emails containing bomb threats to schools, hospitals, and places of worship, but he also allegedly made a misguided attempt to sextort innocent young females. According to a statement made by the FBI’s associate director in charge, James Smith, in a press release, “His actions were a waste of limited law enforcement resources, put first responders in unnecessary danger, and victimized children.”
According to a spokesman of the Department of Justice who spoke with the media, a court appearance date for Santos will be scheduled at a later time.
