Harlingen man sentenced after making bomb threats over social media

Harlingen, Texas (KVEO)—A 19-year-old man from Harlingen was sentenced on Monday after making bomb threats over social media last year.

Joel Hayden Schrimsher was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release.

Schrimsher was arrested on June 6 of last year, after authorities learned of an online threat made via Twitter. He then pleaded guilty to conveying false or misleading information through the internet in federal court.

The investigation revealed a post on Schrumisher’s account relayed a family conversation which ended with “Me: I’m gonna mail a bomb to the Federal Reserve.”

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez noted in court Schrimsher had precursor chemicals and bomb making recipes in his bedroom at the time he made the threats.

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners take threats of violence very seriously,” stated Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “While law enforcement is committed to investigating these threats, members of the public play a critical role in helping law enforcement protect our community from violence by reporting online threats.”

“Working with our law enforcement partners to prevent violence before innocent citizens are hurt or killed remains at the core of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives (ATF) mission,” said Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski.