NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
Julia C. Dudley Acting United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
May 22, 2008
NEVADA MAN INDICTED FOR E-MAILING THREATS TO FORMER VIRGINIA TECH STUDENTS ON EVE OF ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MASSACRE
Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced today that Johnmarlo Balasta Napa, age 27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury sitting in Roanoke, Virginia on charges that he sent threatening e-mails, via interstate commerce, to various persons via a computer server located at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“In the wake of the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech just over one-year ago, we approach every potential threat of violence with extreme caution,” Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley said today. “The law enforcement officials both in Nevada and here in the Western District did a fantastic job in diffusing this situation quickly.”
Napa was charged in a two count indictment with two counts of transmitting in interstate commerce, from Henderson, Nevada, an electronic mail communication to a computer server located at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg.
According to the indictment, Napa sent the threatening e-mails to two former Virginia Tech students on the night of April 15, 2008. The defendant sent the messages from an e-mail account bearing the name “seunghuichorevenge@yahoo.com.” The recipients of the e-mails were not acquainted with Napa and are no longer students of the university.
If convicted on all counts, the maximum penalty faced by the defendant is 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $500,000.
The investigation of the case was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Henderson, Nevada Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Office in Las Vegas, Nevada. Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley will prosecute the case.
A Grand Jury indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.