From the Courts - U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana: Man admits making threat to blow up Dodson school

GREAT FALLS — A man accused of making threats to blow up the Dodson school admitted Monday to a hoax crime, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

Jacob Edwin Wilson, a transient, pleaded guilty to false information and hoaxes as charged in an indictment. Wilson faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for May 9. Wilson was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that Aug. 29, 2023, Wilson called both the 911 emergency number in Blaine County and the Dodson school, located near the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, and said he was “about to blow Dodson school up.”

Law enforcement responded, and because school was in session that day, the superintendent and principle evacuated students and staff from the school on buses to a nearby church parking lot.

First responders from the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office, Malta Fire Department and U.S. Border Patrol responded, set up security around the school and searched the school for an explosive device. No explosive device was found in the school.

In the meantime, Wilson called 911 again and asked for someone to give him a ride off the reservation, said he was at an individual’s house and that he needed a ride from anyone except the Fort Belknap police. The 911 operators traced the call to the individual’s residence, which was located on the Fort Belknap Reservation. Officers located Wilson and arrested him.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Fort Belknap Tribal Police, Phillips County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol and Malta Fire Department conducted the investigation.