A San Fernando Valley man, Mark William Anten, received a 15-month prison sentence for threatening to bomb the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office and making references to the "Unabomber," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. Anten, 53, from Sun Valley, was found guilty on two counts of making threats via interstate communication after a three-day trial, which turned the man's fate to prison.
Between July and December 2023, Anten sent several emails to FBI agents with escalating threats, and despite being warned by FBI task force officers to cease communication, he continued his menacing behavior, sending abrasive emails that vowed violence and referencing tools for destruction. "I AM THE UNABOMBER" and "I WILL UNABOMB THE LOS ANGELES FBI HQ," Anten wrote in an email on December 5, 2023, and following it up the next day claiming he could go on a mass murder spree, asserting that such actions would be justifiable in response to the agent's actions, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada expressed support for federal law enforcement, stating, "Federal agents deserve our appreciation for risking their lives to enforce the law and protect our community," as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, noted the inappropriateness of Anten's actions, affirming that there are more civil ways to disagree with the government, with threats of violence being intolerable.
The investigation into Anten's threats was conducted by the FBI, followed by prosecution by Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford D. Mpare of the General Crimes Section and Kedar S. Bhatia of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.
