Mar 11, 2008 7:29 pm US/Eastern
Local Man Accused Of Threatening Jodie Foster
Bomb Threat Includes Reference To Actress Jodie Foster
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Smegal, who admitted to sending letters and packages to Jodie Foster in 2004, has allegedly sent a bomb threat to a California airport with references to the Hollywood actress.
AP
A Holliston man is accused of sending a bomb threat to the Van Nuys Airport in California that included a reference to actress Jodie Foster, according to FBI officials.
Federal agents say Michael Smegal sent a threatening letter from Holliston last December. It was delivered to the administration building at the Van Nuys Airport, saying there was a gas bomb that was going to go off.
Investigators said the handwritten letter also mentioned Jodie Foster.
Federal officials said the letter is identical to more than 100 other letters sent to celebrities, businessmen, airports and other institutions in the Los Angeles area since last September.
According to the arrest affidavit, Jodie Foster began receiving anonymous letters and packages from Massachusetts in or about October 2004. One of the packages contained a prepaid cell phone along with a request that Foster call a particular number. According to court documents, law enforcement called the number and spoke to an individual who identified himself as Michael Smegal.
Smegal, 42, later admitted to sending the letters and packages to Foster, according to authorities.
During a search of his home on Jan. 8, 2008, investigators said they found numerous unsent letters that are virtually identical to the one received by the Van Nuys Airport on Dec. 6, 2007.
Smegal, who lives with his parents in Holliston, was released from jail under the supervision of his father. He is not allowed access to U.S. Mail or the Internet, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. He is also not allowed to make any unsupervised phone calls and must have no contact with Foster.
A hearing is scheduled for Smegal on March 31.
If convicted of the charges against him, Smegal faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years probation and up to a $250,000 fine.
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