Ohio man convicted of bomb threats



An Ohio man has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for making bomb threats to Cannon County and courthouses in Nebraska, Wash-ington, Oregon, Tenn-essee and Mississippi.

Lonny Lee Bristow, 39, pled guilty in U.S. Federal Court in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bristow was arrested March 20 in his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio.

He was charged with one count of making a bomb threat by phone, knowing it was false.

He is suspected of making more than a 100 such calls beginning in November, 2012 and continuing through Dec-ember 2012.

The initial investigation was carried out by the FBI's Knoxville Division. It revealed that prepaid calling cards were used to make bomb threat calls in Tennessee on Nov. 27, 2012. The cards were purchased from a Walmart Supercenter in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

Through additional investigative methods, it was determined that Lonny Lee Bristow had purchased several pre-paid calling cards and that those cards were linked to false bomb threats placed to various courthouses spanning five states.

"Lonny Bristow induced panic in hundreds of people across several states who were simply trying to do their work," said Stephen D. Anthony. "The FBI will continue efforts to aggressively pursue charges against anyone, such as Mr. Bristow, who chooses to make reckless and malicious bomb threats."

Anthony is special agent in charge of the Cleveland, Ohio branch of the FBI.