Teenager Sentenced to Eight Months for Carnival Sunrise Bomb Hoax

 

A federal judge has sentenced a Michigan teenager to eight months in prison for calling in a bomb threat to Carnival Cruise Line because he was upset that his girlfriend had gone on a cruise without him. 

Joshua Darrell Lowe, 19, was found guilty of sending an email to Carnival with a short - but potentially dangerous - threat. According to court documents, Lowe's message read "Hey, I think someone might have a bomb on your sunrise cruise ship [sic]." Carnival took the matter seriously, and Carnival Sunrise - which was under way in the Caribbean - was diverted to Jamaica for an inspection. Officials had to search through more than 1,000 cabins for any sign of a hazardous device; none was found. 

Lowe's motivation, according to prosecutors, was not related to  Carnival or to the ship. He was angry at his girlfriend, who had gone on a cruise with her family "while leaving him behind to care for their pets." The FBI traced the email address back to Lowe and questioned him; he admitted sending the message. 

When he was charged, Lowe took responsibility for writing the email and pleaded guilty to a single count of false information and hoaxes. On Monday, he was sentenced to eight months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. The relationship he had with his girlfriend is now over, his counsel said in a memorandum before the sentencing. 

"Bomb threats are not a laughing matter and are extremely irresponsible," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, FBI Special Agent in Charge for the case. "When individuals make false hoax threats, they divert critical law enforcement resources and spread unnecessary fear. The FBI takes all threats to life seriously and will ensure that those who resort to this kind of intimidation face the appropriate consequences."