Bomb hoax suspects face federal charges

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel dismissed state charges against two of the three suspects charged in connection with a hoax bomb placed in front of the Deschutes County Courthouse earlier this month.

Charges were dismissed because Billy Williams, the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, filed charges against them in Federal Court. Both suspects are facing charges of conspiracy to make a threat regarding explosive materials and false information and hoaxes.

“I appreciate the strong working relationship local law enforcement has always had with the FBI and United States Attorney Williams,” Hummel said. “We always work collaboratively on cases with a federal nexus and decide after a thorough investigation which jurisdiction should ultimately handle the matter. We all agreed that the alleged actions of these suspects warranted resolution in federal court and this is why I dismissed the local charges.”

The Bend Police Department and other agencies devoted hundreds of hours into identifying and arresting the suspects.