A San Gabriel Valley man was arrested on federal charges for allegedly threatening to bomb a local bank.
The suspect was identified as Daniel Isaac Gonzalez, 23, of Montebello, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In July 2023, a security guard at a Cathay Bank in El Monte “received a profanity-laced text message on his personal phone,” officials said.
The text message had threatened to bomb the bank where the guard was assigned at the time. Following the message, the bank was evacuated out of caution.
Later that same month, another security guard from the same security company claimed to have received a similar bomb threat through a text message on his work phone.
An investigation by the FBI and El Monte police revealed that Gonzalez had allegedly sent the second threat to himself “in order to pose as a victim and evade suspicion,” according to court documents.
Gonzalez was arrested on Jan. 2. He faces multiple charges including two counts of making a threat and conveying false information through interstate commerce to kill another person, and to damage and destroy buildings by fire and explosives.
He pleaded not guilty on both counts. A trial date is set for Feb. 27. If convicted, each carries a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.
“Law enforcement is currently dealing with a constant barrage of hoax threats and swatting attacks targeting a variety of victims, including individuals and institutions,” said Donald Alway, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s L.A. office. “Each threat is taken seriously, and every attempt is made to identify and bring charges against the alleged perpetrator. As is evidenced in this case, even hoax threats — which can result in harm to victims and cause responses that drain taxpayer-funded resources — are prosecuted and can result in a prison sentence.”