by We’ve all ended up with expensive parking tickets or fees. Often, we grin and bear the annoyance before moving on with our day. One man in Louisiana, however, took things way too far.
According to authorities, he rolled up to the pay window but didn’t have the cash to get out. Officers say he went into the parking lot to try and figure out his next steps. Allegedly, they included calling in two separate bomb threats.
When a Fee Turns Federal
Federal authorities report that the man in question, 35-year-old Corey Johnson, is facing charges of willfully conveying a bomb threat. That’s a federal offense and carries serious prison time and steep financial penalties.
According to the US attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the bizarre situation happened on November 7. When Johnson couldn’t afford the short-term parking fee, police allegedly argued with him to move out of the line and ultimately convinced him to go to surface parking.
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Two hours later, the car still hadn’t moved, and it would seem that Johnson hadn’t found a way to pay the bill. That’s when police claim that he called AVCOM, the airport’s operations center, demanding that staff “page Hassan” and warning that “we have the bomb” if they refused.
Parking Lot Standoff
Business Insider reports that less than an hour after that initial call, airport personnel received a second threat from the same phone number, though investigators noted Johnson appeared to disguise his voice.
The caller allegedly escalated the situation, threatening to harm the operator and insisting that “the bomb” be brought to the terminal’s third level. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office quickly pinged the number, locating the phone near the airport’s north terminal.
Deputies recognized the name tied to the number from the earlier parking standoff, leading them back to the surface lot where Johnson had left his vehicle. Officers found him still parked there and arrested him on the spot. Investigators dialed the threatening number during the encounter and watched Johnson’s phone ring.
If convicted, Johnson faces up to ten years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, three years of supervised release, and mandatory court fees.
