Man Allegedly Calls in Bomb Threat to Avoid Paying for Airport Parking

A 35-year-old man from Alexandria, Louisiana, is facing federal charges for allegedly calling in a bomb threat at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport after being unable to pay his parking fee.

On November 20, Corey Johnson was formally indicted for knowingly conveying a bomb threat, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The charges stem from an incident reported on November 7 at the airport.

According to an FBI affidavit, Johnson tried to leave the short-term parking lot in his Jeep but could not complete the payment. Despite repeated requests from parking staff and airport police, he initially refused to move his vehicle. After deputies from the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office were called, Johnson agreed to reposition his car until he could access funds to pay the fee.

The affidavit alleges that later that evening, at around 9:50 p.m., while Johnsons vehicle remained in the lot, airport authorities received a threatening phone call to the Aviation Communications (AVCOM) center. The caller demanded that a person named Hassan be paged, warning, If you do not page him, we have a bomb.

Shortly after, at 10:35 p.m., the caller allegedly phoned again, this time attempting to disguise his voice. He reportedly made threats including, I will cut your throat, and insisted that Hassan deliver a bomb to level three of the airport.

Deputies traced the phone number used for the calls to a location outside the north terminal and identified Johnson as the source. By 10:52 p.m., police found Johnson in his vehicle and arrested him. Officers later confirmed the threatening phone number was in his possession. Johnson reportedly admitted to making the calls and acknowledged stating something like that regarding a bomb.

If convicted, Johnson could face up to ten years in federal prison, fines of up to $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. His arraignment was set for December 3.

Author: Lucas Grant