SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – In a bizarre attempt to dodge his own legal fate, Arkansas man Phillip Ray Robison Jr., 36, of Hartford, has been nailed for bomb threats at the Cedar County Courthouse that caused mass panic and costly searches.
Robison, who was scheduled to appear for a probation violation hearing after his conviction for drug distribution, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Thursday, May 25, 2017. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
The court clerk at the Cedar County Courthouse was on edge when Robison called and claimed a bomb was set to explode at 2:30 pm on Jan. 11, 2016. Law enforcement cleared the courthouse, but found no explosive device. They were called back for another search after Robison’s second false alarm, only to be met with the same fruitless outcome.
One day before his court hearing, on Jan. 25, 2016, Robison made a third bomb threat. This time, law enforcement recognized him as the culprit from earlier incidents and detained him. Robison confessed that he wanted to cancel his court hearing to avoid returning to jail for a 120-day sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney is handling the prosecution of this case, which was investigated by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation.
Robison remains in federal custody without bond as he awaits his fate for his malicious act that caused fear and inconvenience across the courthouse.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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