Former L.A. deputy mayor of public safety to plead guilty to fake bomb threat

A former Los Angeles deputy mayor of public safety has agreed to plead guilty to making a fake bomb threat to city hall for which he sought to blame a fabricated anti-Israel actor, federal prosecutors said.

Brian K. Williams, 61, will admit to a single count of threats regarding fire and explosives and could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, according to a plea agreement filed Thursday.

“In an era of heated political rhetoric that has sometimes escalated into violence, we cannot allow public officials to make bomb threats,” Bill Essayli, U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement.

Attorneys for Williams did not return a call from The Washington Post on Friday. But one of those lawyers, Dmitry Gorin, told the Los Angeles Times that Williams “has demonstrated his unreserved and full acceptance of responsibility for his actions.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/05/23/los-angeles-deputy-mayor-bomb-threat/