NH Man Pleads Guilty In Harvard Bomb Threats Scheme

MANCHESTER, NH — A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty Wednesday after being accused of a series of extortionate bomb threats against Harvard University in April, officials said.

Manchester's William A. Giordani, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of concealing a federal felony after officials said he phoned in bomb threats to the school and demanded Bitcoin.

Police then discovered a large bag of fireworks and electrical wires Giordani planted next to a bench in the center of Science Center Plaza, prompting an emergency evacuation of the area and nearby buildings.

Shortly after placing the bag, Giordani — using a voice-changing app to conceal his identity — called the Harvard University Police Department and said that he had placed three bombs on campus and needed Bitcoin to prevent their detonation, officials said. No additional devices were found on campus that day.

Investigators discovered that Giordani had been recruited to join the extortion scheme through a Craigslist advertisement.

Once Giordani knew he had been recruited to assist in the scheme, he had an obligation under federal law to report it to police, officials said.

Instead, he deleted incriminating text messages, told his girlfriend not to speak to anyone about it, and ran from police, resulting in a concealing a felony charge, according to officials.

The charge provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison and one year of supervised release.

Giordani is set to be sentenced on April 25.