New Hampshire man accused in Harvard bomb threat, extortion plot last year was sentenced
A New Hampshire man was sentenced in Boston federal court for making a series of extortionate bomb threats against Harvard University that caused several buildings on campus to evacuate. The controlled detonation was determined to be a hoax device.
William A. Giordani, 55, of Nashua, was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of concealing a federal felony in January 2024, said acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
The case stems from an incident last April 13 when Giordani placed a large tool bag, which concealed a locked safe containing fireworks and electrical wires, in the center of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza, where students and others had gathered.
Harvard University’s police department then received a warning from a caller electronically disguising their voice saying bombs had been placed on campus and students would be killed unless the school conducted a bitcoin transfer within 96 minutes.
Police would receive another six calls before the caller gave a location and a description of a device, which police found and destroyed after evacuating the area and issuing a warning to people on campus. No other devices were found.
Investigators said Giordani was pulled into the incident after he responded to a Craigslist ad looking for someone to purchase fireworks in New Hampshire and pick up some other items in Massachusetts — including wire, a metal locking safe and a bag — and deliver the items to his son at Harvard.
After Giordani collected the items, the individual said his son was unable to meet him and he should just leave the bag with the items — the ones later destroyed by police — on a bench in a science plaza area at the school.
Just after 2 p.m. that day, Giordani was seen dropping off the bag.
Investigators said that at some point Giordani began to harbor suspicions that the items could be used to construct a bomb, pointing to deleted text messages where he acknowledged it could be bomb material. In another text to his girlfriend, Giordani said “I got scammed,” police said.
Giordani also took steps to hide from police after they made attempts to reach him in order not to reveal his role in delivering the bag, investigators said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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