George Rita II, 42, of Carbondale, Illinois, pleaded guilty
today to making a false threat to blow up a military recruiting center in
Carbondale. Rita had been named in a one-count indictment returned on July 11,
2018, charging him with intentionally conveying false information about a bomb
threat, which is a federal offense. According to the indictment, on June 28,
2018, Rita sent a threatening anonymous message to an FBI tip line in
Clarksburg, West Virginia, claiming that he was heading to a recruitment center
to blow it up and that no one could stop him.
Although no location was originally given for the threatened
recruitment center, the FBI was able to determine that the message had come
from Southern Illinois and ultimately tracked the source of the message to an
IP address assigned to Rita’s apartment, which is in close proximity to the
U.S. Army Recruiting Office in Carbondale. During his plea hearing, the
defendant admitted sending the threatening message and confirmed the
information discovered during the FBI’s rapid response and investigation.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 27, 2018. Rita, who is
currently being held without bond, faces up to five years imprisonment, three
years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Information leading to the charges against Rita was obtained
in an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with
assistance from the Carbondale, Illinois Police Department and the United
States Marshals Service.
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