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A Michigan man, John Charles Robinson, 23, was arrested after calling in a fake bomb threat to Spirit Airlines following his missed flight to Los Angeles. The incident occurred at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Thursday (June 5) when Robinson missed his scheduled Flight 2145. In an attempt to delay the flight, he called Spirit Airlines, claiming there was a bomb threat, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Robinson's call led to the immediate cancellation of the flight, and passengers and crew were deplaned as a safety precaution. Bomb-sniffing dogs and FBI agents conducted a thorough search of the airplane, but no explosives were found. The flight was delayed by approximately six hours.
Robinson was arrested by FBI agents when he returned to the airport to board another flight to Los Angeles. He admitted to making the call, hoping it would delay the flight long enough for him to board. Robinson was charged with two counts: using a cellphone to convey false information about an attempt to damage an airplane and making false information and hoaxes. He appeared in federal court in Detroit and was released on a $10,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 27.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. emphasized the seriousness of such threats, stating, "Making this kind of threat undermines our collective sense of security and wastes valuable law enforcement resources." The FBI, in coordination with the Wayne County Airport Authority Police Department and the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service, led the investigation.