A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty to calling in a hoax bomb threat against Boston Children's Hospital.
Catherine Leavy, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false bomb threat and one count of intentionally conveying false or misleading information that a bomb was on the way to Boston Children's Hospital, according to a Sept. 28 Justice Department news release. She was initially arrested and charged in September 2022 and indicted in October 2022.
On Aug. 30, the hospital received a call stating a bomb was on the way and the hospital should be evacuated. No explosive device was located, but the hospital was on lockdown as police investigated the threat. Records obtained by law enforcement indicated the phone number used to make the bomb threat was subscribed in Ms. Leavy's name and that it pinged off a cell tower near her home at the time of the bomb threat, the Justice Department said. Authorities recovered the phone allegedly used to make the threat from Ms. Leavy's residence.
Boston Children's had reported a harassment campaign against the hospital based on misinformation about its treatment of the young transgender community. The campaign centered on commentary about the hospital's Gender Multispecialty Service Program.
Ms. Leavy is scheduled to be sentenced March 19. She faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.