NFL Hoaxer Arrested, Faces Jail Time

A 20-year-old Wisconsin man who, investigators say, has admitted to perpetrating an online terror hoax against National Football League stadiums is under arrest on federal charges connected with the fake "dirty bomb" threat. Jake Brahm of Milwaukee could face five years in prison for the hoax. He has turned himself in to authorities in Wisconsin and is expected to be extradited to New Jersey to face the charges. New Jersey is home to the football Giants and Jets. Cities mentioned in the online hoax included New York, Houston, Cleveland, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle and Oakland. THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Blogger Admits NFL Threat a Scam NFL Stadium Threat: Officials Skeptical But Issue Warning Click Here for More of the Brian Ross Page Investigators believe the suspected hoaxer posted the made-up bomb threat as part of a "writers’ duel" with another man in an Internet chat room to see who could come up with the scariest scenario. Government officials said from the outset they did not believe it was a credible threat, but they did alert law enforcement and NFL officials "out of an abundance of caution." The Internet posting warned that radiological "dirty bombs," delivered in trucks, would be detonated outside NFL stadiums in seven cities during games played on Sunday, Oct. 22. The NFL issued a statement assuring the public its facilities are "very well protected." Since Sept. 11, 2001, 95 percent of the nation’s stadiums have increased access controls and set limits on what fans may bring into the arena. More than 90 percent of the nation’s stadiums are locked down between events, according to a survey by Security Management Magazine. Brahm appeared in federal court in Milwaukee this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia J. Gorence.  For his bail conditions, the judge ordered Brahm to be released on his own recognizance, under the supervision of his father. He can have no use of the Internet or any computer that can be used to access the Internet. His travel is restricted to within the Eastern District of Wisconsin and to and from New Jersey as necessary. Brahm was also required to surrender his passport. The next step is to have the case presented to a grand jury in New Jersey for potential indictment. Only upon indictment would Brahm be required to appear in court again for arraignment on the Indictment. Read the criminal complaint against Jake Brahm. Read the Department of Justice press release concerning the case.