By Forum Staff
An Oregon man recently pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to conspiring to make threats concerning explosives and conveying false information concerning explosives targeting Jewish hospitals and care centers in Queens, Brooklyn, and on Long Island, prosecutors said.
As set forth in the indictment and in court filings, beginning at least as early as May 2021, Domagoj Patkovic, 31, and others made anonymous phone calls in which they made violent threats, including threats to detonate explosive devices, to Jewish hospitals and care centers within the Eastern District of New York, among other targets throughout the United States.
Photo Courtesy of Google
Patkovic’s threats were aimed at Jewish hospitals and care centers in NYC and on Long Island.
The defendant himself made threats in at least six separate calls to hospitals and on a call with local law enforcement who had responded to a 911 notification from one of the hospitals. Patkovic live-streamed the calls to others on social media and electronic communications services. 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. No explosive devices were ultimately found in any of the locations.
Brooklyn U.S. Attorney John Durham said Patkovic “needlessly endangered patients and staff and diverted critical law enforcement resources from their core mission of keeping our community safe.”
When sentenced, Patkovic faces up to 15 years in prison.
