Portland man charged with making bomb threats against Jewish hospitals in New York

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A Portland man was arrested Tuesday and faces charges related to a series of bomb threats called into Jewish hospitals in New York, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York.

According to an indictment that was unsealed Tuesday, starting in or before May 2021, 31-year-old Domagoj Patkovic is accused of livestreaming himself making anonymous phone calls to four Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York, in which he threatened to set off explosive devices. He also called local law enforcement with the same threats.

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One of those calls in September 2021 triggered a partial evacuation and lockdown of an entire Long Island hospital, the attorney’s office said. For others, law enforcement responded to the hospitals to search for bombs. No explosive devices were ultimately found in any of the occasions.

Patkovic was arrested Tuesday morning at his Portland home.

“As alleged, the defendant and his coconspirators, motivated by their hatred of Jewish people, targeted Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and on Long Island with hoax bomb threats, needlessly endangering patients and staff by creating chaos and alarm,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “Our highest priority is ensuring all members of our community are protected and we will use all resources possible to prosecute dangerous bomb threats and swatting schemes to the fullest extent of the law.”

Patkovic faces charges of conspiring to make and making threats concerning explosives, conspiring to transmit and transmitting threatening communications, and conveying false information concerning explosives. If convicted, he faces up to 155 years in prison.

“These alleged actions incited unnecessary hysteria and redirected limited resources to mitigate a false alarm,” said Christie Curtis with the FBI New York office. “The FBI will not tolerate those who utilize hoax bomb threat schemes to satisfy their anti-Semitic beliefs and endanger the wellbeing of our communities.”