NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WVEC) — Oscar Von Alston II, 31, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for making multiple bomb threats in Hampton and Newport News to divert emergency responders away from his armed bank robbery.
According to the indictment, the 31-year-old made bomb threats to public facilities in Hampton and Newport News including two courthouses, two hotels and a YMCA.
While police and firemen responded to those bomb threats and handled the evacuations, Alston robbed the Virginia Educators Credit Union at gunpoint. Alston was arrested less than 20 minutes after the robbery with over $22,000 from the bank.
Alston is charged with five counts of making a threat with explosives, five counts of false information and hoax, bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
He will face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
A federal district court judge will ultimately determine any sentence following the trial and taking the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors into account.
► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13News Now App.
