(The Center Square) – Los Angeles’ deputy mayor for public safety has pleaded guilty to calling in a fake, anti-Israel bomb threat to himself in October.
Brian Williams, who was charged by federal prosecutors Thursday, faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Mayor Karen Bass announced in December that Williams had been put on administrative leave, meaning he likely has been collecting his $245,143 combined salary and benefits without any official duties. As deputy mayor for public safety, Williams would have overseen the city’s fire and police response during the devastating January wildfires.
The Department of Justice reports that during an online government meeting, Williams used his personal cellphone’s Google Voice app to call his city cellphone, then left the meeting and placed a call to the Los Angeles Public Department, saying he received a call from an unknown man with a threat to bomb Los Angeles City Hall.
“Williams received no such call and had made the bomb threat himself,” wrote the DOJ. “At no time did Williams intend to carry out the threat.”
Williams then texted Bass and other high-ranking officials to share the news.
“Bomb threat: I received phone call on my city cell at 10:48 am this morning. The male caller stated that ‘he was tired of the city support of Israel, and he has decided to place a bomb in City Hall. It might be in the rotunda.’ I immediately contacted the chief of staff of LAPD, they are going to send a number of officers over to do a search of the building and to determine if anyone else received a threat,” texted Williams.
LAPD then searched city hall for explosives or suspicious packages, finding none.
Williams then texted the mayor and high-ranking officials again, saying, “At this time, there is no need for us to evacuate the building, I’m meeting with the threat management officers within the next 10 minutes. In light of the Jewish holidays, we are taking this thread, a little more seriously.”
It’s unclear what government meeting Williams placed the bomb call during, or what Williams’ motive was for the false bomb threat.
“In an era of heated political rhetoric that has sometimes escalated into violence, we cannot allow public officials to make bomb threats,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, whose office is overseeing federal prosecution of the case. “My office will continue its efforts to keep the public safe, including from those who violate their duty to uphold the law.”
