Stephen S. Landes, Bomb Threats, Delaware 2019

A New Mexico man has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for making bomb threats to a Georgetown school and a local Walmart.

Stephen S. Landes, 29, of Roswell, New Mexico, was sentenced by the Honorable Richard G. Andrews, United States District Judge for the District of Delaware.

According to court documents, on May 9, 2018, at approximately 1:43 p.m., Landes called the Walmart in Georgetown, Delaware from Roswell, New Mexico. Landes asked to speak with a manager and claimed to be a certain resident of Georgetown, Delaware. He then stated that he had a bomb and a child hostage in the bathroom and demanded $20,000 and threatened to blow-up the Walmart if he did not receive the money.

Law enforcement from Georgetown Police, Delaware State Police and Delaware Natural Resources Police responded to the Walmart and evacuated the store. K9 units searched the Walmart but did not find any bomb. A few minutes later, at approximately 1:56 p.m., Landes called Georgetown Elementary School and made a similar bomb threat.

U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss stated, 'This defendant purposely targeted an elementary school because he knew that his bomb threat would cause an immediate and intense response by law enforcement. Approximately 2,000 children were impacted by the defendant's unconscionable actions.'

'Stephen Landes orchestrated an extensive, multi-faceted swatting campaign that caused a significant amount of angst, alarm, and unnecessary expenditure of limited law enforcement resources,' said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone, FBI Baltimore Field Office.

The case was investigated by the FBI-Baltimore Division's Wilmington Resident Office with assistance from the Delaware State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-de/pr/new-mexico-man-sentenced-27-months-federal-prison-making-bomb-threats-georgetown-school