Aerospace employee threatened to bomb his NC workplace six times in two weeks, feds say
Minutes before walking into work at an aerospace and defense company in North Carolina, an employee sent texts threatening to bomb the facility, prosecutors said.
It happened six times in less than three weeks, according to court documents.
Kidarryl Phillips, 23, is being charged with threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of North Carolina said in a news release Monday.
“Hope you can save these people... let them know I’m serious they all gone(sic) blow up,” Phillips said in one of the texts, court documents show.
Phillips worked as a contract employee for the aerospace and defense giant Collins Aerospace in Wilson, about 40 miles east of Raleigh, prosecutors said in the release.
Collins Aerospace is headquartered in Charlotte, but its facility in Wilson builds equipment for commercial and military aircraft — including fire protection systems under the name Kidde Technologies, according to the website.
Phillips worked in the facility’s shipping department Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m., prosecutors said in the complaint.
The threats reportedly started Feb. 12.
A real estate agent working for Our Town Properties in Wilson reported receiving a text message from an unknown number shortly before 1:30 p.m., according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said other real estate agents unrelated to the case received similarly worded texts on Feb. 14, Feb. 17, Feb. 20 and Feb. 25.
The texts were all sent between two and 16 minutes before Phillips started work, data collected from his badge showed.
Investigators were able to trace the texts to a Sprint provider through the free calling and texting apps “Text Now” and “Text Me.” Sprint reportedly told them the addresses belong to Phillips.
Another threat was received on Feb. 28 as FBI agents were en route to serve a search-and-seizure warrant on Phillips’ cellphone, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said the phone had been cleared of all its applications by the time agents got it.
According to the news release, Phillips faces life in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count if convicted.
