A MAN ACCUSED of calling in a hospital bomb threat because he was upset he couldn’t attend his child’s birth, is being charged in federal court.
26-year-old Utah native Michael Morlang was indicted on Wednesday and faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted, the US Attorney’s Office in Utah said in a news release.
The threat led to an evacuation and lockdown lasting several hours on 17 September at the Sevier Valley Medical Centre in the small central Utah city of Richfield.
All patients and those seeking emergency care had to be diverted to another hospital as a result of the call.
His wife and her father told investigators that Morlang made the bomb threat because he was angry about not being there for the birth.
The woman’s father also told investigators that Morlang was upset because he heard his wife was going to have a procedure to prevent having more pregnancies.
A nurse told police she spoke with Morlang, and that he was “extremely upset that they were going forward with the birth” while he was still in Idaho.
Morlang acted like he had no knowledge of the threat when reached by phone that day while on a bus back to Idaho, Richfield City police investigators said in court documents.
They were unable to reach him again after that.
Morlang is currently in custody in Idaho for an unrelated crime. It’s not clear whether or not he has a lawyer.
The state charges filed in September against Morlang —one count of threat of terrorism — are being dismissed now that the federal government is pursuing charges, said US Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch.
With reporting by Cianan Brennan
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