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Odessa Man Charged in Courthouse Hoax
MIDLAND, Texas – A brazen attempt to disrupt court proceedings has landed an Odessa man in hot water. David Paul Finnegan, 37, has been charged with perpetrating a hoax after leaving a suspicious device at the Ector County Courthouse.
On April 7, 2022, Finnegan allegedly left a large PVC pipe containing miscellaneous objects at the front steps of the courthouse. The device was held together with black tape and had a wristwatch taped to it. The Odessa Police Department’s Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team was called out to examine the device, and after rendering it safe, they determined it did not contain explosives.
Further investigation revealed that Finnegan was scheduled to be sentenced at the courthouse on the day he planted the device. As a result of its discovery, the Ector County Courthouse had to be evacuated and shut down to the public for much of the day, causing various court proceedings to be postponed, including Finnegan’s sentencing.
Finnegan is charged with one count of perpetrating a hoax. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Finnegan had his initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Ronald Griffin. U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey, El Paso Office, made the announcement.
The FBI, with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Ector County Sheriff’s Office; Odessa Police Department; and the Texas Department of Public Safety, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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