Illinois Man Sentenced for Sending Threatening Communication

Topics:  Con-Way Freight

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan
November 1, 2013

An Illinois man was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $45,955 after having pleaded guilty to sending threatening communications over the Internet, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade.

McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Rodney Termini, 48, of Oglesby, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gershwin Drain.

According to court records, on April 15, 2013, the day of the Boston Marathon bombing, Termini posted two threatening messages to the Facebook page of Con-Way Freight, a shipping company with locations in various states, including Michigan and Illinois. Termini was a contract employee for Con-Way Freight at its LaSalle, Illinois facility. Termini—using a Facebook identification in someone else’s name—wrote to Con-Way, “there is a bomb at one of your facilities, have fun finding it.” In response to the threats, Con-Way evacuated several of its facilities and suspended certain operations while law enforcement officers (assisted by bomb sniffing dogs) searched the facilities. At the time of Termini’s threats, law enforcement had not yet captured the two men suspected in the Boston Marathon bombings.

United States Attorney McQuade stated, “Hoax threats are a serious crime. In addition to needlessly alarming the victims, threats divert law enforcement resources from other important assignments. We hope this prosecution will deter others from committing similar crimes.”

Paul M. Abbate, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, stated, “The FBI takes threats like those communicated by Mr. Termini very seriously. Law enforcement must respond to these kinds of threats, which diverts critical resources from other missions. We will continue to thoroughly investigate actions like these and bring those who commit them to justice.”

The investigation of this case was conducted by special agents of the FBI in Ann Arbor and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mulcahy.