Sonny Donnie Smith called two airports in his atttempt to stop his father and brother boarding flights. Photo / Getty Images
Sonny Donnie Smith called two airports in his atttempt to stop his father and brother boarding flights. Photo / Getty Images
An Oregon man was so upset that he didn't receive an invite to a family wedding he called two airports and reported that his brother and father were traveling as terrorists sparking an FBI investigation.
Police said Sonny Donnie Smith, 38, placed two anonymous phone calls in September 3, 2016to the security offices at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and the Midland International Air and Space Port in Midland, Texas, claiming that his father and brother were terrorists traveling through the airports, reports The Daily Mail.
The calls prompted the FBI to get involved, according to The Oregonian. The father and brother were temporarily detained at the airports and questioned by investigators. When authorities realized they were not terrorists, they were released.
"Thanks to the FBI agents and partner agencies who worked this case, Mr. Smith quickly found his harassment was far from anonymous," Loren Cannon, Oregon's FBI special agent in charge, told the outlet.
Police said Smith made the calls because he was angry he wasn't invited to a family wedding his father and brother were attending.
Smith admitted to making the false calls in court on Thursday. He faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release.
Smith is set to be sentenced May 10.
"The safety and security of our nation's airports and travelers are of paramount importance to law enforcement, and we will continue to swiftly and thoroughly investigate all threats of terrorism," Billy J. Williams, Oregon's US Attorney, said.
