A Portland, Oregon man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to make threats and convey false information in connection with incidents in Long Island.
Domagoj Patkovic was charged in August 2024. The 31-year-old hater pleaded guilty on Wednesday before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes. When sentenced, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Patkovic was charged with conspiring to make threats concerning explosives and conveying false information concerning explosives.
“As he admitted today, the defendant intentionally targeted Jewish hospitals and care centers in our District with bomb threats,” said John J. Durham, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
“In doing so, he needlessly endangered patients and staff and diverted critical law enforcement resources from their core mission of keeping our community safe,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “We will prosecute dangerous bomb threats and swatting schemes to the fullest extent of the law.”
Patkovic made at least six separate threatening calls to hospitals, and on a call with local law enforcement who had responded to a 911 notification from one of the hospitals.
He livestreamed the calls to others on an online social media and electronic communications service.
“On several occasions, local police responded to the scene and conducted bomb sweeps. On at least one occasion in September 2021, the hoax bomb threat resulted in a partial evacuation and lockdown of an entire hospital on Long Island,” according to a statement from the Department of Justice.
No explosive devices were ultimately found in any of the targeted locations.
