Texas man indicted in bomb threatMan used a cellphone to call the Islamic Center on Sept. 5 and in a profanity laced message saying, "On Sept. 11, 2011, there's going to be a bomb in the building,"
By Duane W. Gang
The Tennessean
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - A federal grand jury indicted a 24-year-old Corpus Christi man Thursday on charges of making a bomb threat against the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.
Javier Alan Correa is accused of calling in the bomb threat just days before the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
If convicted, Correa faces as many as 20 years in federal prison.
The alleged bomb threat by Correa is separate from an ongoing investigation into vandalism and arson at the Islamic Center, including an August 2010 arson fire of construction equipment.
Federal officials said a $20,000 reward remains in place for information related to the arson.
The mosque's imam, or spiritual leader, is Ossama Bahloul, who previously served as imam at the Islamic Society of South Texas' mosque in Corpus Christi. He was imam there in September 2007 when police were called after shots were fired at the mosque, which was empty at the time. No one was injured and no arrests have been made.
Correa has not been arrested. U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin said prosecutors have been in contact with his attorney and have provided him an opportunity to surrender to authorities. A Corpus Christi police spokesman said the department has not been contacted to assist in Correa's apprehension.
Correa used a cellphone to call the Islamic Center on Sept. 5 and in a profanity laced message saying, "On Sept. 11, 2011, there's going to be a bomb in the building," according to the two-page indictment.
Martin would not disclose how authorities tracked down Correa and what specific information led to the grand jury indictment.
Correa faces one count of intentionally obstructing by threat of force the free exercise of religious beliefs and one count of using an instrument of interstate commerce to communicate a threat.
Staff writer Steven Alford contributed to this report.
Correa has not been arrested, but he has been provided opportunity to surrender to authorities.
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