<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Friday, March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Oregon man pleads guilty in plane bomb hoax

By STEVEN DUBOIS, Associated Press
Published: February 1, 2016, 2:05pm

PORTLAND — A United States citizen accused of falsely reporting there was a bomb a Dutch airliner has entered a guilty plea.

Police arrested Sean Michael Davies, 22, of Warrenton, Ore., last year on charges he constructed a fake bomb, then placed it in the restroom during a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. He alerted the crew about the device, and that caused the Oct. 20, 2014, flight to be diverted to Cairo, Egypt.

Prosecutors said Davies’ motive was to look like a hero.

Davies man pleaded not guilty last year and a trial was scheduled to start Tuesday in Portland. Instead, he pleaded guilty at a Monday afternoon hearing. Sentencing was set for May 12.

Federal prosecutor Charles Gorder said before the hearing he expected Davies to plead guilty to conveying false information concerning a device which could destroy or damage an aircraft. Another charge will be dropped in the plea agreement.

Davies’ attorney, federal public defender Ruben Iniguez, did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Gorder said the fake bomb was comprised of things one could bring onto a plane or obtain during a flight, including a wine bottle, earphones, an iPhone charger cord and e-cigarette battery.

“A bunch of different things that make it kind of look like a bomb,” Gorder said.

Gorder declined to talk about the recommend sentence that comes with the plea deal, saying he must wait for the hearing.

U.S. Magistrate John V. Acosta allowed Davies to remain out of jail as the case went through the court system. Davies had to relinquish his passport and stay in Oregon.

The NL Times, which provides English-language news about the Netherlands, reported at the time of the incident that 271 passengers were aboard the flight and there was no panic.

Loading...