BOSTON (WHDH) - Former Northeastern employee Jason Duhaime was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday in connection with allegedly staging a hoax explosion at the school and giving law enforcement materially false and misleading information about the incident, according to U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins.
Duhaime, 45, formerly of San Antonio, was formerly employed as the new technology manager and director of the Immersive Media Lab at Northeastern. On Sept. 13 at about 7 p.m., Duhaime called 911 to report he was injured by “sharp” objects that exploded from a plastic Pelican case he opened at the lab. Specifically, Duhaime said that “very sharp” objects flew out of the case and under his sleeves, injuring his arms. He also allegedly reported that the case contained an anonymous “violent note” directed at the lab. He also said that he had a second, unopened case in his lab.
The 911 call triggered a significant law enforcement response, including two bomb squads, and the campus was evacuated. According to court documents, local and federal law enforcement noted that the case that allegedly exploded and the letter in it were undamaged. The storage closet it was in also appeared normal, and officials did not find any debris in the lab.
During subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Duhaime allegedly made false statements about the incident, but that matched what he told the 911 operator. He denied fabricating the story.
A forensic analysis of a computer seized during a search of Duhaime’s office allegedly found a copy of the letter found in the case in a backup folder, dated to the day of the explosion.
The charges Duhaime faces each carry a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
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