A former employee at Northeastern University in Boston was arrested on federal charges after he allegedly staged a bomb attack against himself in a school lab last month.
Jason Duhaime, 45, was arrested and charged with making false statements to federal investigators and with “conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive device,” the university announced Tuesday, nearly a month after the incident at the university.
CRIME SCRAMBLES DISTRICT ATTORNEY RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY
Duhaime reportedly called 911 on Sept. 13 and said that he had been injured by a bomb explosion in the Immersive Media Lab in Holmes Hall, where he worked as technology manager and director.
Initial reports said that the bomb was delivered by mail around 7 p.m. local time and exploded after Duhaime opened it. The former employee, who also reported a threatening note, was treated for minor injuries at the hospital that night.
But investigators later found that there was no indication of “a forceful or explosive discharge,” including on the box Duhaime claimed was the source of the blast. Federal law enforcement officials also subsequently found a “word for word” copy of the threatening letter on Duhaime’s computer.
In a statement, the university thanked “the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Boston Police Department for bringing this investigation to a close.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Knowing what we know now about this incident, we would like to make it clear that there was never any danger to the Northeastern community. As always, the safety of our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority,” the university said.
If convicted, Duhaime could face up to five years in prison, as well as a fine of $250,000, for each charge.
