Juan Thompson Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To 60 Months In Prison For Cyberstalking And Making Hoax Bomb Threats To JCCs And Other Victim Organizations

Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JUAN THOMPSON was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel to 60 months in prison for cyberstalking and making hoax bomb threats as part of THOMPSON’s campaign to harass and intimidate a particular woman (“Victim-1”).  Over a period of months in 2016 and 2017, THOMPSON, among other things, communicated at least 12 threats to Jewish Community Centers (“JCCs”) and other Victim Organizations in Victim-1’s name and his own name and made false allegations about Victim-1 to Victim-1’s employer.  THOMPSON was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) on March 3, 2017, and pled guilty before Judge Castel on June 13, 2017.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “Today, Juan Thompson was held to account and justly punished for his efforts to harass an ex-girlfriend by sending disturbing and dangerous hoax threats to Jewish Community Centers and other organizations across the country in her name.  Thompson’s harassment and threats caused severe distress to both his victim and to Jewish communities around the country.  We thank our partners at the FBI for their excellent work on this important case.”

According to the Complaint, the Information, and statements made at sentencing:

In July 2016, THOMPSON began a months-long campaign of harassment targeting Victim-1 after Victim-1 ended their relationship.  THOMPSON’s conduct culminated with a series of hoax threats, including hoax bomb threats, targeting JCCs, organizations that provide service to and on behalf of the Jewish community, schools, and police departments.

THOMPSON started his campaign of harassment of Victim-1 in 2016.  In July of that year, an email was sent to Victim-1’s employer, which made false allegations about Victim-1, including that she had broken the law, using an internet protocol (“IP”) address that THOMPSON had previously used to access his social media account.  On October 15, 2016, an IP address that traced back to THOMPSON’s residence was used to falsely report that Victim-1 possessed child pornography.  When confronted by law enforcement on November 22, 2016, THOMPSON claimed that his email account had been hacked a few weeks earlier. 

THOMPSON also made at least 12 hoax threats targeting JCCs.  For instance, on February 21, 2017, the Anti-Defamation League (“ADL”) received an emailed threat at their midtown Manhattan office that indicated that “[Victim-1’s name and birthdate] is behind the bomb threats against jews. She lives in nyc and is making more bomb threats tomorrow.”  The next day, the ADL received a phone call claiming that explosive material had been placed in the ADL’s midtown Manhattan office. 

Some of THOMPSON’s threats were made in his own name, as part of an apparent effort to claim that Victim-1 was trying to frame THOMPSON for a crime.  For instance, on or about February 7, 2017, a JCC in Manhattan received an emailed bomb threat from an anonymous email account, which stated: “Juan Thompson [THOMPSON’s birthday] put two bombs in the office of the Jewish center today.  He wants to create Jewish newtown tomorrow.”  The email’s use of the phrase “Jewish newtown” appeared to refer to a December 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in which a gunman murdered 26 victims.

In February 2017, a Twitter account used by THOMPSON (the “Thompson Twitter Account”) was used to accuse Victim-1 of responsibility for the JCC Threats and claim that Victim-1 was trying to frame THOMPSON for her crimes.  For instance, on February 24, 2017, the Thompson Twitter Account posted: “[s]he [Victim-1], though I can’t prove it, even sent a bomb threat in my name to a Jewish center, which was odd given her antisemitic statements.  I got a visit from the FBI.  So now I’m battling the racist FBI and this vile, evil, racist white woman.”  On February 26, 2017, the Thompson Twitter Account posted: “The hatred of Jews goes across all demos.  Ask NYC’s [Victim-1’s employer].  They employ a filthy anti-Semite in [Victim-1].  These ppl are evil.”

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In addition to the prison term, THOMPSON, 32, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to  three years of supervised release.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, and thanked the United States Secret Service, New York City Police Department, and Saint Louis Police Department for their ongoing investigative assistance. 

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism & International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Warren and Andrew DeFilippis are in charge of the prosecution.