Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), held a press conference on Thursday to announce the unsealing of a Complaint against Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, also known as "Lucas."
Santos stands accused of making hoax bomb threats that targeted over 150 school districts, synagogues, airports, hospitals, and a shopping mall across multiple states, causing widespread disruptions from September 15 to September 21, 2023.
The threats, which spanned across states including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Arizona, and Alaska, led to evacuations of thousands of schoolchildren, lockdowns at hospitals, and flight delays. In a shocking turn of events, Santos is also charged with attempting to induce a 15-year-old girl to take and send him nude and sexually explicit photographs. These bomb threats were allegedly carried out in retaliation against her and other minors who had refused his requests for child pornography.
The threats, which spanned across states including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Arizona, and Alaska, led to evacuations of thousands of schoolchildren, lockdowns at hospitals, and flight delays. In a shocking turn of events, Santos is also charged with attempting to induce a 15-year-old girl to take and send him nude and sexually explicit photographs. These bomb threats were allegedly carried out in retaliation against her and other minors who had refused his requests for child pornography.
These same threats were allegedly sent to the Fairlane Village Mall near Pottsville and the Laurel Mall in Hazleton. These threats evacuated the malls for several hours while State Police investigated.
Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, a Peruvian national, was apprehended by Peruvian authorities in Lima, Peru, on September 26, 2023, based on the charges outlined in the Complaint.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams remarked, "As alleged, the defendant's relentless campaign of false bomb threats caused an immediate mobilization by federal and state authorities, diverting critical law enforcement and public safety resources, and caused fear in hundreds of communities across this country. The defendant allegedly engaged in this reprehensible and socially destructive conduct in a twisted attempt to retaliate against teenage girls who refused his requests for nude and sexually explicit photographs. The charges unsealed today show that those who engage in such conduct, wreaking havoc on our communities, will not find safe haven merely because they do it from outside our borders. Working together with our law enforcement partners, we will find you, and we will prosecute you."
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith stated, "Not only did Santos allegedly email hundreds of hoax bomb threats terrorizing schools, hospitals, and houses of worship, he also perversely tried to sextort innocent teenage girls. His actions wasted limited law enforcement resources, put first responders in unnecessary danger, and victimized children. The FBI will not tolerate anyone who seeks to induce fear in our communities, and we will do whatever it takes to put the perpetrators of such actions behind bars, regardless of their location."
According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the FBI initiated its investigation on September 15, 2023, after receiving reports of bomb threats sent primarily via email or online contact forms to various institutions across several states. Through the analysis of email, phone, and Internet Protocol ("IP") address data, the FBI identified Nunez Santos, a 33-year-old Peruvian national residing in Lima, as the individual responsible for sending the threats. The threats all contained substantially similar content and targeted a wide range of institutions.
For instance, on September 17, 2023, Santos sent a threat to a synagogue in Westchester County, stating, "I placed multiple bombs inside the Jewish Center. The bombs I placed in the building will blow up in a few hours. Many people will lay in a pool of blood."
On September 20, 2023, Santos sent threats via email to approximately 24 school districts in Pennsylvania, warning, "I placed multiple bombs in all of the schools from your School Districts. The bombs will blow up in a few hours. I’ll gladly smile when your families are crying because of your deaths."
Between September 15 and September 21, 2023, the FBI received reports of over 150 such threats, all containing similar language. These threats triggered emergency law enforcement responses, leading to significant disruptions, including school evacuations and closures, flight delays, and a hospital lockdown. For example, a single bomb threat sent by Santos on September 19, 2023, resulted in the evacuation of more than 1,100 schoolchildren across approximately 20 different schools in Pennsylvania.
Several of Santos's bomb threats included references to specific phone numbers or IP addresses and instructions for the targeted institutions to contact these numbers or addresses. The FBI determined that these phone numbers and IP addresses belonged to certain minor females, including a 17-year-old girl residing in Pennsylvania, a 13-year-old girl residing in Pennsylvania, and a 15-year-old girl residing in New York. Santos, using the alias "Lucas" and falsely representing himself as a 15-year-old, repeatedly asked at least two of these girls to send him nude photographs of themselves. When the girls refused or cut off communications, Santos threatened to bomb their schools or harm them, subsequently sending bomb threats to schools in their areas with directives to contact the girls.
Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, 33, of Peru, faces multiple charges, including transmitting threatening interstate communications, conveying false information and hoaxes, attempting to sexually exploit a child, attempting to coerce and entice a minor, and attempting to receive child pornography. These charges carry various sentences, ranging from five years to life in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI's New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprising investigators and analysts from multiple federal, state, and local agencies. He also extended his gratitude to various FBI Field Offices, the FBI's Legal Attaché office in Peru, the Department of Justice's National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs, and Peruvian law enforcement authorities for their cooperation in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office's National Security and International Narcotics Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bodansky leading the prosecution, assisted by Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the Counterterrorism Section.
Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, a Peruvian national, was apprehended by Peruvian authorities in Lima, Peru, on September 26, 2023, based on the charges outlined in the Complaint.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams remarked, "As alleged, the defendant's relentless campaign of false bomb threats caused an immediate mobilization by federal and state authorities, diverting critical law enforcement and public safety resources, and caused fear in hundreds of communities across this country. The defendant allegedly engaged in this reprehensible and socially destructive conduct in a twisted attempt to retaliate against teenage girls who refused his requests for nude and sexually explicit photographs. The charges unsealed today show that those who engage in such conduct, wreaking havoc on our communities, will not find safe haven merely because they do it from outside our borders. Working together with our law enforcement partners, we will find you, and we will prosecute you."
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith stated, "Not only did Santos allegedly email hundreds of hoax bomb threats terrorizing schools, hospitals, and houses of worship, he also perversely tried to sextort innocent teenage girls. His actions wasted limited law enforcement resources, put first responders in unnecessary danger, and victimized children. The FBI will not tolerate anyone who seeks to induce fear in our communities, and we will do whatever it takes to put the perpetrators of such actions behind bars, regardless of their location."
According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the FBI initiated its investigation on September 15, 2023, after receiving reports of bomb threats sent primarily via email or online contact forms to various institutions across several states. Through the analysis of email, phone, and Internet Protocol ("IP") address data, the FBI identified Nunez Santos, a 33-year-old Peruvian national residing in Lima, as the individual responsible for sending the threats. The threats all contained substantially similar content and targeted a wide range of institutions.
For instance, on September 17, 2023, Santos sent a threat to a synagogue in Westchester County, stating, "I placed multiple bombs inside the Jewish Center. The bombs I placed in the building will blow up in a few hours. Many people will lay in a pool of blood."
On September 20, 2023, Santos sent threats via email to approximately 24 school districts in Pennsylvania, warning, "I placed multiple bombs in all of the schools from your School Districts. The bombs will blow up in a few hours. I’ll gladly smile when your families are crying because of your deaths."
Between September 15 and September 21, 2023, the FBI received reports of over 150 such threats, all containing similar language. These threats triggered emergency law enforcement responses, leading to significant disruptions, including school evacuations and closures, flight delays, and a hospital lockdown. For example, a single bomb threat sent by Santos on September 19, 2023, resulted in the evacuation of more than 1,100 schoolchildren across approximately 20 different schools in Pennsylvania.
Several of Santos's bomb threats included references to specific phone numbers or IP addresses and instructions for the targeted institutions to contact these numbers or addresses. The FBI determined that these phone numbers and IP addresses belonged to certain minor females, including a 17-year-old girl residing in Pennsylvania, a 13-year-old girl residing in Pennsylvania, and a 15-year-old girl residing in New York. Santos, using the alias "Lucas" and falsely representing himself as a 15-year-old, repeatedly asked at least two of these girls to send him nude photographs of themselves. When the girls refused or cut off communications, Santos threatened to bomb their schools or harm them, subsequently sending bomb threats to schools in their areas with directives to contact the girls.
Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, 33, of Peru, faces multiple charges, including transmitting threatening interstate communications, conveying false information and hoaxes, attempting to sexually exploit a child, attempting to coerce and entice a minor, and attempting to receive child pornography. These charges carry various sentences, ranging from five years to life in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI's New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprising investigators and analysts from multiple federal, state, and local agencies. He also extended his gratitude to various FBI Field Offices, the FBI's Legal Attaché office in Peru, the Department of Justice's National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs, and Peruvian law enforcement authorities for their cooperation in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office's National Security and International Narcotics Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bodansky leading the prosecution, assisted by Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the Counterterrorism Section.