News Releases
FAKE TERRORIST CLAIMS RESULT IN FEDERAL INDICTMENT
March 09, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, and Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announce that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against TEODOR SVETOSLAVOV BALEV, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia, on charges of making a false statement regarding terroristic threats. According to Nahmias:
The indictment charges that on October 13, 2004, BALEV, a Bulgarian national living in Atlanta, made a materially false statement to an agent of the FBI; specifically, that “VKD,” a person known to him, was a foreign terrorist planning to attack the people and interests of the United States. In fact, the indictment alleges, BALEV had no such information or belief that VKD posed a threat to the United States.
United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of today’s indictment, “False threats about terrorists and terrorism divert limited law enforcement resources from fighting the very real terrorist threats that do exist. As this case illustrates, if you make false terrorism threats, we will prosecute you and seek to send you to prison.”
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The case is being investigated by Special Agents of the FBI.
Assistant United States Attorney Kim S. Dammers is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney or F. Gentry Shelnutt, Chief, Criminal Division, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.