A man who admitted to calling in a bomb threat at the Michigan Capitol will spend a year in jail Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday.
In January, Michael Varrone, 49, of Charlotte, was charged in Lansing’s 54-A District Court on the following:
• Two counts of false report or threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony.
• One count of false report or threat of bomb/harmful device, a four-year felony.
Last month, he pleaded guilty to false report or threat of bomb/harmful device. on Wednesday, Judge James Jamo sentenced Varrone to 365 days in the Ingham County Jail with no possibility of early release and three years' probation. Varrone must also undergo mental health treatment as part of sentencing.
“Threatening the lives and safety of our elected officials and innocent bystanders is deplorable,” said Nessel. “We treat every instance as a serious threat and will prosecute those who perpetrate such crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”
On Dec. 12, Varrone called the Michigan House of Representatives six times and on at least one occasion threatened the life of Rep. Cynthia Johnson and her family members, according to the complaint.
Then on Jan. 7, Varrone telephoned a control operator at the Capitol complex and said everyone needed to evacuate because the Capitol was going to explode. The employee immediately reported the bomb threat to Michigan State Police state properties security officers stationed at the Capitol. Authorities performed a sweep of the premises and determined there was no real threat.
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