Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Pleads Guilty Fake Bomb Threat

Brian K. Williams, 61, a former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, pleaded guilty to making a false bomb threat targeting Los Angeles City Hall in October 2024. Williams falsely claimed to have received the threat via a phone call on his city-issued cell phone, prompting a police investigation and a sweep of City Hall, although no suspicious devices were found. He admitted to fabricating the threat by calling his city-issued phone from his personal device using a Google Voice app, motivated by anger over the city's support for Israel. Williams sent multiple text messages to Mayor Karen Bass and other top officials to report the fake threat, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation due to the Jewish holidays. He faces a federal charge of making threats involving fire and explosives, carrying a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for October 6. Authorities emphasized that Williams never intended to carry out an attack but betrayed public trust and misused his position, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.