The man responsible for multiple bomb threats to Los Angeles schools, pleaded guilty to a federal charge.

Oklahoma native Marcus Jamal Sanchez, 45, was accused of calling in to L.A. schools in early 2022 and threatening harm with fire and explosives.

“Sanchez put children, teachers, and staff at risk through his reckless and irresponsible actions,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a release by the state Department of Justice. “Schools should be safe havens for our kids, and my office will use the force of federal law – when necessary – to prosecute individuals who threaten the educational safety of our young people.”

The first bomb threats were received on February 28 of that year, and were made to five separate L.A. public schools. Two of those schools were of elementary age, two of middle school age and one high school.

Nearly two months later threats were made by Sanchez on April 27 and April 28, this time with an additional threat of a school shooting.

“Stop playing games, you know who this is. I am going to shoot the school. I know the kids are there,” transcripts of one of the calls said.

At the time of the threats, the schools were placed on lockdown while L.A. School police investigated the validity of the threats.

For the federal charge of telephoning bomb threats, Sanchez faces up to 10 years in a federal prison. His hearing will take place June 7 and Sanchez will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton.

“The depraved act of making death threats to vulnerable schoolchildren is incomprehensible to most and will not be tolerated by the FBI, nor the American people,” Amir Ehsaei, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office said. “When threats such as these are reported, they must always be treated as credible and so they continue to drain valuable resources from law enforcement at the expense of the taxpayers who fund them.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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