A 39-year-old man from Richmond County, Keyon Tishaye Dickens, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for threats made against an Augusta Social Security office. Announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg emphasized that threats of violence toward public facilities will not be tolerated. No option for parole exists in the federal system, ensuring Dickens will serve the full term of his sentence.
According to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the incident transpired after Dickens received notice of an overpayment from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the subsequent recoupment plan. Responding to this financial stress, he called the SSA office and made a bomb threat before later presenting a note that read "I have a bomb" at the office, leading to an evacuation and eventual arrest once no bomb was found.
Reacting to such incidents of public intimidation, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Matthew Ploskunak of FBI Atlanta's Augusta Resident Agency highlighted the collaboration between law enforcement partners in responding swiftly to protect employees and civilians. "Americans should not have to fear for their lives simply for doing their jobs or going about their daily errands," he told the U.S. Attorney's office.
Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Atlanta Field Office, reassured the public of their safety and emphasized the seriousness of violent threats. Acting SSA Inspector General Michelle L. Anderson also stressed the federal government's strict approach to such violations, expressed relief that no one was injured and praised the collaboration between agencies. When the suspect visited the Social Security office carrying a backpack, Dickens showed the guard a note indicating a bomb.
Multiple agencies, including the FBI, ATF, SSA Office of the Inspector General, and the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, collaborated in investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III prosecuted the case.
