Mich. Man Who Was ‘Upset’ Girlfriend Went on Cruise Without Him Sentenced to Prison for Sending Ship She Was on ‘False Bomb Threat’

A Michigan antheral who carried retired a “bomb hoax” connected a cruise vessel past twelvemonth has been sentenced to prison.

Joshua Lowe, 19, was sentenced to 8 months successful situation connected Monday, April 16, respective months aft helium was indicted connected transgression charges by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan, according to reporting from Associated Press.

“Anyone making a weaponry menace should expect to beryllium taken astatine his word. Fortunately, this peculiar hoax did not effect successful carnal injury,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said successful a tribunal filing obtained by AP.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan, did not instantly respond to PEOPLE’s petition for remark connected the incident.

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According to a property merchandise from the territory attorney’s office, Lowe was charged with “making a mendacious weaponry threat” aft helium sent an email to Carnival Cruise Lines successful January 2024. It read: “Hey, I deliberation idiosyncratic mightiness person a weaponry connected your sunrise cruise ship.”

The email was received aft the cruise acceptable sail from Miami toward Jamaica arsenic portion of a Caribbean cruise. The connection prompted the ship’s unit to “individually” hunt “over a 1000 staterooms.” Carnival besides alerted the U.S. Coast Guard and Jamaican authorities; the second “escorted the vessel to port.”

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Kessler said, per a connection to AP, that FBI agents were capable to hint the email code backmost to Lowe, who had been “living with his girlfriend’s family” astatine the time.

“Lowe admitted helium sent the connection due to the fact that helium was upset that the household went connected the cruise portion leaving him down to attraction for their pets,” Kessler said.

Lowe apologized for committing the transgression successful a missive to U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney, AP reported. “This is each my responsibility and instrumentality afloat responsibility,” helium wrote.

Related: 17-Year-Old Boy Who Allegedly Boarded Plane with Shotgun Charged with Multiple Offences

In summation to his situation sentence, helium “will beryllium required to wage restitution for expenses associated with the hoax,” the territory attorney’s bureau said.

“Bomb threats are not a laughing substance and are highly irresponsible,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent successful Charge of the FBI successful Michigan, said successful the territory attorney’s bureau property release.

“When individuals marque mendacious hoax threats, they divert captious instrumentality enforcement resources and dispersed unnecessary fear. The FBI takes each threats to beingness earnestly and volition guarantee that those who edifice to this benignant of intimidation look the due consequences,” Gibson added.

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