Man sentenced to prison for bomb threat hoax aboard Amtrak train

October 31, 2024

RAILEIGH, N.C. — Grotez Simpson, 25, of New York, was sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years’ supervised release on October 24, 2024, for making bomb threats aboard an Amtrak train, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents, Simpson texted fake bomb threats to Amtrak’s “Txt-a-Tip” phone application on May 25 and May 26, 2022, while he was aboard Amtrak’s Silver Star train. In the texts, he claimed that there was a bomb on the train located in another passenger’s luggage.

Based on the tips, the Amtrak Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office stopped the train outside of Orlando, had approximately 225 passengers (including Simpson) deboard the train, and searched the train for about five hours. The search did not uncover any explosive devices, and passengers reboarded the train and continued their journey to New York.

The next morning, Simpson made further claims that there was a bomb aboard the train. Special Agents with the Amtrak Office of Inspector General determined that the threats had come from Simpson, and when the train reached Raleigh, North Carolina, FBI agents took him into custody.

“Hoaxes are no joke,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “Bomb threats on mass transit get real prison time. This three-year prison sentence sends a strong message that we will not normalize threats of mass violence in this country.”

In addition to Amtrak OIG, the case was investigated by the Amtrak Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles prosecuted the case.

Reports of fraud, waste, or abuse, including suspected pandemic relief fraud; criminal or unethical acts affecting Amtrak’s property or operations; or mismanagement in Amtrak programs or operations can be made 24 hours a day via the Amtrak OIG Hotline at 1-800-468-5469 or online at https://direc.to/hPAu.

-###-