WOMAN SENTENCED FOR MAKING BOMB THREATS TO AIRLINE
United States Attorney Johnny Sutton and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Ralph Diaz announced today that 36-year-old April Wormly, of Hobbs, New Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Orlando Garcia to 24 months in federal prison for calling in a bomb hoax. She was also ordered to pay $19,761.20 in restitution.
Earlier this year the defendant pled guilty to the federal charges. By pleading guilty, she admitted that on April 21, 2007, she made numerous telephone calls to the San Antonio International Airport (SAIA) and Southwest Airlines (SWA) claiming that there was a bomb on a Southwest flight from San Antonio to Dallas. The airplane was diverted to a secure site at SAIA and removed from service. No explosives were found, but 120 passengers were delayed. Southwest incurred additional costs of $19,761.20, due to the defendant’s actions which form the basis of the restitution.
Five of the defendant’s 36 telephone calls to SWA were recorded. The defendant admitted in a signed statement to FBI agents that she did in fact make the false telephone calls and that she knew there was no bomb on the plane. Wormly stated that her motivation was to end her relationship with her sometimes boyfriend, who was a passenger on the flight; she hoped that once he discovered that she made the false calls, he would leave her alone.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Antonio Police Department, San Antonio Airport Police, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Hobbs New Mexico Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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