Feds Charge Man With Bomb Hoax At Miami Consulate Building
MIAMI (CBS4) -A federal grand jury has indicted a man suspected of causing a bomb hoax at a downtown Miami building that house the Israeli and German consulates.
Federal prosecutors said Friday that 52-year-old William Rolland has been formally charged with one count of conveying a false bomb threat. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Investigators said that on July 25, Rolland walked into a lobby of an office building on North Biscayne Boulevard and told people there that he would return the next day and "blow up the building."
Police shut down traffic for two hours over the possible threat.
A bomb squad was called to Southeast 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street, according to Miami Police.
Video from Chopper 4 showed a suitcase next to a tree in the shutdown area but it's not known if the suitcase had anything do with the threat.
No explosives were found.
An FBI agent's affidavit said the building houses the German and Israeli consulates.
Arraignment is set for Aug. 23. Rolland's attorney said Saturday his client was at the building on business, did not make the statement attributed to him and is innocent.
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