- An Oregon man reported his father and brother as terrorists because he was upset he wasn’t invited to a family wedding
- Sonny Donnie Smith, 38, called McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and the Midland International Air and Space Port in Texas to make the false claims
- His father and brother were temporarily detained and as the FBI investigated Smith’s allegations. The father and brother were eventually released
- Smith faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. He is set to be sentenced on May 10
An Oregon man was so upset that he didn’t receive an invite to a family wedding he called two airports and reported that his brother and father were traveling as terrorists sparking an FBI investigation.
Police said Sonny Donnie Smith, 38, placed two anonymous phone calls in September 3, 2016 to the security offices at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and the Midland International Air and Space Port in Midland, Texas.
He claimed that his father and brother were terrorists traveling through the airports.
Smith also called McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas (pictured). Investigators said he made the false claims because he was upset he wasn’t invited to a wedding his father and brother were attending
The calls prompted the FBI to get involved, according to The Oregonian. The father and brother were temporarily detained at the airports and questioned by investigators. When authorities realized they were not terrorists, they were released.
‘Thanks to the FBI agents and partner agencies who worked this case, Mr. Smith quickly found his harassment was far from anonymous,’ Loren Cannon, Oregon’s FBI special agent in charge, told the outlet.
Police said Smith made the calls because he was angry he wasn’t invited to a family wedding his father and brother were attending.
Smith admitted to making the false calls in court on Thursday. He faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
One of the airports Sonny Donnie Smith, 38, called was the Midland International Air and Space Port in Midland, Texas (pictured). Smith’s brother and father were temporarily detained as the FBI investigated the claims
Smith is set to be sentenced May 10.
‘The safety and security of our nation’s airports and travelers are of paramount importance to law enforcement, and we will continue to swiftly and thoroughly investigate all threats of terrorism,’ Billy J. Williams, Oregon’s US Attorney, said.