Man pleads guilty for diverting Alaska Airlines flight to Spokane with fake bomb threat
By Nick Hawthorne
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SPOKANE, Wash. (KXLY) — A man who falsely claimed to have a bomb on an Alaska Airlines flight, forcing an emergency landing in Spokane, has pleaded guilty to federal charges, prosecutors said.
Brandon L. Scott admitted in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington on February 20, 2025, to one count of providing false information and conveying a hoax bomb threat, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said his plea was voluntary and supported by evidence.
Scott was arrested on the Spokane International Airport tarmac after Alaska Airlines Flight 334, traveling from Atlanta to Seattle, was diverted on July 5, 2023.
Court documents state that Scott, a first-class passenger, told a flight attendant there was a bomb on board and that he had a detonator. The cockpit was locked down, and the pilot declared a level 3 emergency, indicating life-threatening behavior.
Scott later told investigators he made the threat in an attempt to divert the flight because he believed he was being targeted by a drug cartel.
Scott remains in U.S. Marshals’ custody pending sentencing, scheduled for May 21, 2025.
A presentence investigation report is due by May 7, with sentencing recommendations and objections required beforehand.
Scott is also required to pay a $100 special penalty assessment.
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