Former Northeastern College worker convicted of staging hoax explosion, mendacity to the FBI

A former Northeastern College worker has been convicted of staging a hoax explosion and mendacity to an FBI agent concerning the hoax.

Jason Duhaime, 46, previously of San Antonio, was convicted by a federal jury in Boston of deliberately conveying false and deceptive info associated to an explosive machine, and two counts of constructing materially false statements to a federal regulation enforcement agent.

Again in September 2022 when Duhaime was a lab employee at Northeastern, he reportedly known as the Northeastern Police Division and claimed that he was injured by sharp objects expelled from a plastic case he opened contained in the lab.

Duhaime advised an emergency police dispatcher that he and a Northeastern pupil working within the Immersive Media Lab had collected a number of packages — together with two plastic “Pelican cases” — from a mail space and introduced them into the lab.

Duhaime stated that when he opened one of many circumstances inside a storage closet, “very sharp” objects flew out of the case and below his shirt sleeves, inflicting accidents to his arms.

Duhaime additionally reported that the case contained an nameless “violent note” threatening to “destroy the lab” and stating: “In the case you got today we could have planted explosives but not this time!!! Take notice!!! You have two months to take operations down or else!!!!! WE ARE WATCHING YOU.”

Duhaime’s report and concern a few second, unopened Pelican case triggered a major regulation enforcement response that included: the help of the Boston Police Division’s bomb squad, the help of a number of federal and state regulation enforcement companies, and the evacuation of a portion of the Northeastern campus.

In statements to first responders and in subsequent interviews with regulation enforcement, Duhaime supplied statements concerning the incident that had been in keeping with what he advised the emergency police dispatcher. He expressly denied fabricating his story concerning the Pelican case, the nameless menace letter, and the accidents to his arms.

Then throughout a search of Duhaime’s workplace at Northeastern, a number of laptop computer computer systems had been discovered. A forensic examination of one of many computer systems revealed a word-for-word digital copy of the nameless menace letter that Duhaime claimed was contained in the Pelican case.

In accordance with proof introduced throughout the trial, this digital copy of the menace letter was created and printed between roughly 2:50 p.m. and three:56 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2022 – simply hours earlier than he reported the incident to the Northeastern Police Division.

“Bomb hoaxes like the one the defendant fabricated here have real life consequences,” stated Performing U.S. Lawyer Joshua S. Levy. “Communities are put in fear, law enforcement personnel are diverted from other important duties and there are significant financial repercussions.

“As we experience a wave of bomb hoaxes in schools, houses of worship and other gathering places, we will work closely with our local, state and federal partners to hold accountable anyone who tries to inject fear and distress into our community,” Levy added.