LANSING (WWJ) - A 49-year-old who admitted to calling in a bomb threat to the state capitol was sentenced to 365 days in jail, authorities announced on Wednesday.
Attorney General Dana Nessel said Michael Varrone, 49, of Charlotte, was given a year behind bars with no possibility of early release and three year's probation after he confessed to making a number of threatening phone calls.
In January, Varrone was charged with the following:
• Two counts of false report or threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony
• One count of false report or threat of bomb/harmful device, a four-year felony.
As part of his sentence, Varrone was also ordered to undergo mental health treatment.
“Threatening the lives and safety of our elected officials and innocent bystanders is deplorable,” said Nessel. “We treat every instance as a serious threat and will prosecute those who perpetrate such crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”
Authorities said Varrone called the Michigan House of Representatives six times on Dec. 12 and on at least one of those phone calls, threatened the life of Rep. Cynthia Johnson and her family members.
Varrone then called a control operator at the Capitol building in Lansing on Jan. 7 and said everyone inside needed to leave the complex immediately because it was going to explode.
Michigan State Police searched the premises after receiving the report and determined the caller posed no threat.
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