Gulfport, Miss. - A Biloxi man was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release and a $1,000.00 fine for submitting a false tip to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to information presented to the Court, on Sept. 20, 2022, Gregory Lee McKee, 24, submitted an anonymous tip to tips.fbi.gov, an FBI website, in which he claimed to have overheard a specific individual discussing plans to blow up a local police station. As a result of the tip, law enforcement officers searched the individual’s home, interviewed the individual, and interviewed the individual’s mother.
The individual denied making any statements about blowing up the Biloxi Police Station. The individual also explained that Gregory McKee may have set him up because they had previously had a falling out. Internet data indicated that the tip had come from an IP address associated with McKee’s mother. Ultimately, officers spoke with McKee who eventually admitted to submitting the tip because he was angry with the individual.
The FBI and Biloxi Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys