Brian K. Williams, the former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, has entered a guilty plea to a charge of making a bomb threat against City Hall, according to federal prosecutors, in a stark misuse of public trust and authority. The threat, which Williams admitted to fabricating during a virtual meeting last October, placed stress on crucial emergency services and sown disruption among city officials.
Despite holding a significant position dedicated to the security of Los Angeles, Williams used a Google Voice application to make a bogus call to his city-issued phone, later informing police and high-ranking officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, of a false bomb threat, information obtained by the United States Attorney’s Office reveals, now Williams faces up to 10 years in federal prison for this fraudulent action, which compromised the safety of both the police force that responded and the citizens they're sworn to protect.
The announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office articulates a clear stance on such behavior, with U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli saying, "In an era of heated political rhetoric that has sometimes escalated into violence, we cannot allow public officials to make bomb threats," a stance that emphasizes the gravity of Williams' betrayal. Williams, age 61, from Pasadena, reported to the Los Angeles Police Department that he had been threatened by an unknown male who was "tired of the city support of Israel" and that a bomb might be present in City Hall's rotunda, an alarming assertion that led to an immediate search of the premises, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Following Williams' report, no explosive devices were found by LAPD officers, it emerged that Williams had shown officers a supposed incoming call from a blocked number on his city-issued phone, which later investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force uncovered to be self-manufactured using his cellphone, according to CBS News Los Angeles. "Mr. Williams, the former deputy mayor of Public Safety for Los Angeles, not only betrayed the residents of Los Angeles, but responding officers, and the integrity of the office itself, by fabricating a bomb threat," stated Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, highlighting the stark discrepancy between Williams' duty and his actions.
