Defendant Michael San Nicolas Santos Sentenced Today For Making Bomb Threats

ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that MICHAEL SAN NICOLAS SANTOS, aged 54, was sentenced today in the District Court of Guam, to serve 18 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for transmitting bomb threats in interstate commerce.  Defendant was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment fee and total restitution of $2,389.48 for distribution in part to Pho Saigon Restaurant, the Judiciary of Guam and the Guam Police Department.

Defendant pled guilty on November 14, 2013, to the offense of Maliciously Conveying False Information by Telephone in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(e).  On the mornings of September 26, 2013, October 10, 2013, and October 29, 2013, the defendant called the Guam Emergency 911 Center and stated to the effect that there was a bomb going to explode in the Dededo Mall.  On the last phone call, the defendant threatened and stated, “There is a bomb going down in Dededo Mall right now.  It is going to be going off.  Get those people out of the building.  In Dededo Mall right now.”

On the morning of each of the calls, the defendant purchased a new prepaid cellular phone and/or SIM card in the Mobil gas stations in Ysengsong Road, Dededo, and Route 16. The defendant made the September 26, 2013 and October 10, 2013 bomb threats from a park across the street from the Dededo Mall.  On the morning of October 29, 2013, federal law enforcement agents surveilled the defendant when he left his Yigo residence.  He was observed buying a prepaid cellular phone in the Mobil gas station in Route 16 in the vicinity of the Guam Revenue & Taxation building, driving around the park directly across the street from the Dededo Mall, and driving up Carnation Road and Villagomez Road where he made the third bomb threat. Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) arrested the defendant later that morning when he returned to the Dededo Mall.  The defendant told them, among other things,
that he called in the bomb threats on those days to avoid attending a small claims court hearing in the Small Claims Division, Superior Court of Guam, Northern Court Satellite which is located in the Dededo Mall.

The Dededo Mall also accommodates one restaurant, several food concession stands and retail businesses.

U.S. Attorney Limtiaco states, “All bomb threats are taken seriously.  To ensure the public's safety and security, law enforcement agencies will use their resources to determine the validity of each bomb threat. Offenders will be held accountable and prosecuted.”

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force-Pacific (comprised of the FBI, Guam Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service), Guam Police Department, Guam Fire Department, Judiciary Courts of Guam Marshals Office, Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, Detachment Marianas and the Department of Defense Joint Region Marianas. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic David.