Gravette Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Bomb Threat Charge

Osterman

Osterman

Thursday, December 12, 2013

— A Gravette man charged in federal court with emailing bomb threats to the Department of Homeland Security has pleaded guilty.

Conner Joseph Osterman, 26, entered a plea bargain with federal prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to one bomb threat. A second charge related to a bomb threat to a Siloam Springs Walmart was dismissed as part of the deal.

Osterman faces up to 10 years in prison. He will be sentenced at a later date.

In an affidavit of probable cause for Osterman’s arrest, FBI Special Agent Jason Frankenberger said his agency was notified Nov. 9 of a threatening email from Osterman to Homeland Security. The Nov. 8 email said four bombs had been placed in Washington and they would detonate in 9 hours and 11 minutes.

The message was tracked to Osterman’s computer's Internet address.

While searching Osterman’s computer, agents found a Nov. 9 email to the Siloam Springs Police Department. The email contained a bomb threat saying bombs had been placed in the Walmart store in Siloam Springs. Police confirmed receiving the email, according to the affidavit. On the same day, Walmart received a phone call telling them they needed to evacuate the building.

Frankenberger said in the affidavit not only did the online addresses come back to Osterman, he was the only person with access to the account. The number of bombs and the wording of both threats were similar and both included the phrase “Good Luck.”

Osterman was arrested Nov. 12.

Magistrate Erin Setser ordered Osterman held in the Benton County Jail without bond.