ROME, GA - MITCHELL ALAN SALMERON, 19, of Trenton, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Vining, Jr., on charges of threatening to damage Dade County High School with a bomb.

“The defendant’s hoax cannot be ignored or dismissed as youthful foolishness, because it caused fear to his fellow citizens and required local police and fire departments and the FBI to expend substantial resources to respond to and investigate the threat,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. “In the environment of heightened security awareness in which we all live today, this office will continue to prosecute false bomb threats to the fullest extent of the law.”

SALMERON was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He was indicted in October 2006 on one count of using a means of interstate commerce – a telephone – to threaten to damage a building by means of an explosive device. SALMERON pleaded guilty to that charge on February 8, 2007.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: On the evening of January 26, 2006, Salmeron telephoned the Dade County 911 center and, speaking in a Middle Eastern accent, reported that there was a bomb in Dade County High School. The school, which was hosting a wrestling tournament that night, was evacuated and searched, but no explosive devices were found. Within hours, law enforcement agents had traced the call to SALMERON, who admitted that he made the call to help a friend avoid having to go to school the next day.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the FBI, with the assistance of the Trenton (Georgia) Police Department, and the Dade County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney William G. Traynor prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-meus), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.