Ex worker charged with staging faux explosion at Boston’s Northeastern College By Reuters

(Reuters) – A former worker of Boston’s Northeastern College was arrested and charged with fabricating a report final month {that a} bundle delivered to the campus exploded and injured him, the FBI mentioned on Tuesday.

Jason Duhaime, 45, was charged with one depend of deliberately conveying false and deceptive info and one other depend of constructing materially false statements to legislation enforcement. He was arrested with out incident close to his dwelling in San Antonio, mentioned Joseph Bonavolonta, particular agent answerable for the FBI, Boston Division.

Duhaime is accused of constructing up the story of the explosion and faking accidents by sharp objects he mentioned flew out of a tough plastic case he opened. He falsely advised investigtors that he discovered a letter with threats directed on the lab the place he labored, the FBI mentioned.

Duhaimes, who labored within the Immersive Media Labs, is alleged to have advised legislation enforcement authorities he had retrieved two plastic instances amongst a number of packages from the mailroom within the constructing and introduced them to a storage closet.

Authorities mentioned a plastic case was found empty and undamaged, and accused Duhaime of drafting the letter hours earlier than making the report back to police.

Northeastern evacuated a part of its campus and cancelled some courses after the incident, whereas different schools within the Boston space urged college students to be cautious. The occasion invoked recollections of the lethal 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

“This alleged conduct is disturbing to say the least,” U.S. Legal professional Rachael Rollins (NYSE:) mentioned at a information convention. “Our metropolis greater than most is aware of all too properly. {That a} report or risk of an explosion is a really severe matter and necessitates a direct and important legislation enforcement.”

Duhaime’s lawyer, Rachel Stroup, didn’t instantly reply to an electronic mail requesting remark.

The town was rocked by the Boston Marathon bombings of 2013, when three folks have been killed and greater than 260 others injured by a pair of do-it-yourself bombs close to the race end line.

“We consider Mr. Duhaime wished to be the sufferer, however as an alternative victimized his complete group by instilling worry at school campuses in Massachusetts and past,” Bonavolonta mentioned.

Duhaime is scheduled to look earlier than a choose in San Antonio afterward Tuesday.