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Press Release
Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, Levi Calhoun, III, a 28-year-old man from Georgetown, Georgia, pleaded guilty to making threats against schools and conveying false information, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2018, Calhoun created and used a fake Facebook account to spread several threats that someone would attack one or more Eufaula, Alabama and Quitman County, Georgia schools with firearms and explosive devices. When creating the fake social media account, Calhoun utilized images from another Facebook user causing him a great deal of distress when law enforcement contacted him to verify he was not actually making the threats. Fortunately, agents quickly traced the fake account back to Calhoun. On March 12, 2019, Calhoun was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of making threats by mail or telephone and one count of conveying false information.
Following his guilty plea to both counts, Calhoun is facing up to ten years in prison. A sentencing date will be scheduled in the next few months.
“We will not tolerate domestic terrorism in any form, but especially when it is directed against our children,” stated U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. “Students should be able to get an education without fear or the threat of violence. Mr. Calhoun’s actions were unacceptable, and I hope this prosecution sends the message that we will not abide any threats of violence against a school.”
"The FBI will continue to support our state and local partners in the realm of online threats to life and property,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell. “The safety and well-being of our students and teachers comes first and will always be a priority to the FBI."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Eufaula Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgetown Police Department, and the Enterprise Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and the Alabama Fusion Center. Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Counts is prosecuting the case.