A Michigan teen was recently convicted to eight months in prison for reporting a false bomb threat on a cruise ship to prevent his girlfriend from going on a cruise without him.
In January 2024, a few minutes after the Carnival Sunrise cruise ship left the port of Miami, Florida, for Jamaica, Carnival Cruise Lines received a mysterious email that read: “Hey, I think someone might have a bomb on your sunrise cruise ship.” This simple one-liner set in motion a costly security operation that involved both the US and Jamaican Coast Guard and the thorough search of the Sunshine’s more than 1,000 rooms. After several hours of delay, the Sunshine was able to continue its journey to the Caribbean, but that wasn’t the end of the story. Authorities managed to trace the email to a 19-year-old man in Michigan who later admitted to reporting the false bomb threat, claiming that he was trying to prevent his girlfriend and her family from going on the cruise without him.
Photo: Alonso Reyes/Unsplash
Joshua Darrell Lowe II, of Bailey, Michigan, told FBI agents that he made up the Sunrise bomb threat because he was upset. His girlfriend and her family had booked tickets for the cruise and left him to take care of the pets while they were gone. That didn’t sit well with him at all, and he decided to do something about it. Apparently, ruining their cruise was the only thing he could think of.
“Lowe admitted he sent the message because he was upset that the family went on the cruise, while leaving him behind to care for their pets,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler wrote in a court filing. “Anyone making a bomb threat should expect to be taken at his word. Fortunately, this particular hoax did not result in physical injury.”
“Bomb threats are not a laughing matter and are extremely irresponsible,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “When individuals make false hoax threats, they divert critical law enforcement resources and spread unnecessary fear. The FBI takes all threats to life seriously and will ensure that those who resort to this kind of intimidation face the appropriate consequences.”
The 19-year-old faced up to five years in prison for his stupid hoax, but earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney sentenced him to just 8 months behind bars. According to MLive, the teen wrote a letter to the Judge, taking full responsibility for his actions and apologizing.
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