A former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, Mr. Brian K. Williams, has consented to plead guilty to a federal charge involving a fabricated bomb threat against Los Angeles City Hall, according to a report released by the Department of Justice this Thursday.
Williams, aged 61, is accused of making threats regarding fire and explosives, a felony offense, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The plea agreement was officially filed in court this Thursday.
Reports indicate that Williams will soon make his initial appearance in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The charge arises from an episode on October 3, 2024, during a virtual meeting while Williams served as the deputy mayor for public safety. It has been reported that Williams, from his location in City Hall, made a call from his cellphone to his city-issued device via the Google Voice application. Following this, he exited the virtual meeting and contacted the chief of staff of the Los Angeles Police Department to report a bomb threat.
According to the plea agreement, Williams misrepresented that he had received a bomb threat against City Hall from an unknown male caller on his city-issued cell phone. In truth, the threat was devised and conveyed by Williams himself. The plea document clarifies, however, that Williams had no intention of carrying out the threat.
Williams also confessed to sending a text message about the false bomb threat to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her office officials. Yet, the subsequent police search of City Hall did not uncover any suspicious items.
The LAPD, after its initial investigation, deemed Williams the probable source of the bomb threat and accordingly referred the case to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The motive behind Williams’ actions remains undisclosed to date.
Williams was placed on immediate administrative leave following the incident, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office confirmed. In the wake of this development, a new deputy mayor for public safety was appointed last month.
Statements issued by U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli and Assistant Director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, Akil Davis, stressed the severity of Williams’ actions and the necessity for public officials to uphold the law.
As the legal proceedings advance, the significance of this case should not be overlooked. It underscores the trust placed in public officials and the gravity of breaches in that trust. Despite unanswered questions about Williams’ motivations, one fact remains clear: the importance of our democratic institutions and the responsibility we share in protecting them.
