MAN WHO MADE FALSE BOMB THREAT TO COURTHOUSE, WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER NOW GOES TO PRISON

DAVID ANTHONY FLOOD, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced to federal prison late yesterday on a charge of using a telephone to willfully and maliciously convey false information concerning an alleged attempt to damage and destroy buildings and to injure and kill people at the Richard Russell Federal Building at 75 Spring Street and the Woodruff Arts Center, located at 1280 Peachtree Street, both in Atlanta.

“This defendant will now spend a year in prison after making a few very serious phone calls. He made false bomb threats to accomplish another objective, which was to distract law enforcement from a nearby bank he was considering robbing,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. “Law enforcement must take seriously all bomb threats; a false threat requires the same commitment of investigative resources as a real threat until we are certain no real danger exists.”

FLOOD was sentenced to one year, one day in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. FLOOD pleaded guilty to the charge on September 11, 2007.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: On October 18, 2006, a bomb threat was made via telephone to the Atlanta 911 Communications Center. The call was recorded as follows: “Praise Allah, you have 13 minutes to clear the Richard B. Russell Building out and the Woodruff Arts Museum in Buckhead, otherwise 13 pounds of C-4 will explode.” The call prompted an emergency response from the Atlanta Police Department, along with the Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Service, MARTA Police, Fulton County Police and United States Marshal Service. Law enforcement personnel and explosive detection canines from those agencies conducted a search of the federal courthouse but no bomb or C-4 explosives were found. Law enforcement agents were also dispatched to the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown, as well as Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta. No explosives or bombs were located at either location.

Telephone records led the agents to discover that FLOOD had made the call. FLOOD stated he had made the call to attempt to distract law enforcement so that he could rob a nearby bank, and that he was desperate for money. He ultimately did not rob the bank; he stated that he became frightened and abandoned the plan. FLOOD has no known affiliation to any terrorist group.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Monahan prosecuted the case, represented in court by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Moultrie.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-meus), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.
---

FIFTH SOLDIER FROM NORTH GEORGIA ARRESTED

SANDEO PABLO DYSON, 44, of Gainesville, Georgia, has been charged in a criminal complaint with arson and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He is making an initial appearance today before a federal magistrate judge in Denver, Colorado to begin removal proceedings to Georgia.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case, “This alleged arson relates to another case involving Army associates of this defendant, who is an Army medic. He has been arrested in Colorado and will be returned to Georgia to face justice.”

"Arson is a serious crime of violence, which often has a dramatic impact on the community" said Scott Sweetow, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Atlanta Field Division. "As alleged, it became clear to ATF that Mr. Dyson was considering an armed robbery/home invasion before we entered the picture. It is my hope that this investigation and prosecution will ensure that the alleged perpetrators will never commit or attempt to commit such crimes again."

According to United States Attorney Nahmias, the federal criminal complaint, and other information presented in court: This investigation started on January 2, 2007, when ATF began to assist the City of Atlanta Fire Department in its investigation of a fire at Club Onyx, an adult entertainment club at 1888 Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta. At the time of the fire, a surveillance system showed a male figure coming out of a bathroom/storage closet area in the rear of Club Onyx after the club had been locked and alarmed by management. This individual hugged the side wall, entered the kitchen, and then re-emerged only to walk beyond the range of the cameras. The fire started in the rear of the club and quickly spread with the use of an accelerant. The unknown male then fled out the exit door of the club nearest the location where the fire was set.

For many months, investigators were unable to develop any leads on the arson. A break in the case occurred in August and September, 2007, when the ATF and the FBI, working together, identified a subject from a competing club. That person ultimately confessed to paying DYSON $5000 to burn Club Onyx, which was siphoning away business as well as dancers from the other club. DYSON had allegedly told the subject, who became an informant, that he could “solve the Club Onyx problem.” DYSON was the head of a security company, “Perimeter Security,” and said that he was in the military, assigned to a facility in Dahlonega, Georgia, and a member of the Special Forces/Delta. DYSON claimed that many of his employees were also members of Special Forces/Delta, and were armed and well-trained.

Subsequent investigation showed that DYSON is in the U.S. Army, but is not Ranger-trained. In 2006 and 2007, he was a medic assigned to Camp Merrill in Dahlonega, but was recently transferred to Fort Carson in Colorado.

On November 8, 2007, the informant met with DYSON and made a consensuallymonitored recording of their encounter. DYSON admitted to burning Club Onyx and advised that he had used a home-made accelerant, the recipe for which DYSON had obtained from the so-called “Anarchist’s Cookbook.” According to DYSON, this accelerant would be undetectable to law enforcement investigating the fire. DYSON and the informant also discussed the possible armed robbery/home invasion of a narcotics stash house. From the nature of the conversation, it was obvious that this was not a new topic but had been discussed previously. DYSON was eager to participate in the home invasion, advising that he had approximately four other soldiers to assist him, and agreed to introduce these people to the informant. Four other Army defendants have been arrested in the armed robbery/home invasion scheme and their bond hearing before a United States Magistrate is scheduled to continue on February 4, 2008.

DYSON was arrested without incident yesterday by agents of the ATF and Army CID at Fort Carson, Colorado.
Members of the public are reminded that a criminal complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the ATF, assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistance has also been provided in this case by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and Atlanta Fire Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Robert McBurney and Zahra Karinshak are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-meus), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.
---