Kentucky security guard allegedly reported false bomb threats at places he worked
Lexington KY May 4 2024
A Central Kentucky man called in bomb threats to a hospital and two Lexington businesses where he worked as a security guard, a federal grand jury has charged.
The grand jury indicted Gabriel Frith, 19, of Nicholasville Thursday on three charges of making false reports of bomb threats.
The first incident happened in July 2023 in Scott County, where Frith allegedly falsely told police he had received a text message saying a bomb would explode at the Georgetown Community Hospital, according to the indictment and a state court case.
Mark Blankenship, a detective with the Georgetown police, said in a criminal complaint that Frith worked for a company that provided security services for the hospital.
Frith told police he got two texts on the phone provided to him by the security company. One read “hello” and the second said “Bomb is there boy. 1 hrr BOOM,” according to Blankenship’s sworn statement.
The messages were sent from a texting application. The investigation showed that the email associated with the account belonged to Frith, according to the state complaint.
The second case in which Frith allegedly told police he had received a bomb threat was in November 2023, involving a retail store in Fayette County.
In the third case, in January 2024, Frith told workers at a hotel in Lexington he had received a text saying a bomb would explode at the hotel, according to the indictment.
The federal indictment did not identify the businesses, but records in a state case identified them as a Walmart store on New Circle Road and the Hyatt Regency hotel downtown.
Frith worked as a security guard at both places at the time of the false threats, according to the federal indictment.
The federal charges against Frith are punishable by up to five years in prison each.
