A 48-year-old South Carolina man made his first court appearance on federal charges for driving his car into the FBI's Atlanta office gate. Erving Lee Bolling of Easley is accused of depredation of federal property following his April 1 attempt to break into the FBI Atlanta Headquarters, stated U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Bolling rammed an orange Buick Encore into a security barrier in an alleged attempt to breach the perimeter of the building. After the failed ramming attempt, Bolling got out of his car and tried to unlawfully enter the secure parking lot area by tailgating an FBI employee.
"The safety of our law enforcement partners is one of the highest priorities of this office," Buchanan said. "Bolling’s alleged damage to federal property during his attempt to unlawfully enter a federal facility created a risk of safety to federal agents and staff that cannot be tolerated." FBI agents immediately apprehended Bolling at the scene. Responding were Dekalb County Police Department officers and EMS, who later transported Bolling to the hospital for medical care and evaluation.
FBI Atlanta's Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley reinforced the seriousness of the breach attempt, "The safety of our employees is of paramount concern for us at the FBI, and any attempts to breach our facility will be met with stiff penalties." Farley praised the agent's quick actions that prevented the situation from escalating, "Thanks to agents’ diligence and quick thinking, the incident was prevented from escalating into a more dangerous situation, and for that we are grateful. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the continued safety of our employees," she continued.
The public is reminded that a complaint only contains allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The case is under investigation by the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine I. Terry is in charge of the prosecution. For more details, the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office can be contacted at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.
