ROMULUS — A man in his twenties from Monroe is facing federal charges that could land him in prison for several years after making a false bomb threat in an attempt to delay a departing flight for which he was late. The incident occurred on the morning of Thursday, June 5, when the man called in a hoax about an explosive device aboard a Spirit Airlines flight scheduled to leave Detroit Metropolitan Airport for Los Angeles.

The bogus claim triggered panic and a full evacuation of Flight 2145. All passengers were subjected to searches and questioning by the FBI, while bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to sweep the aircraft. The flight was ultimately delayed for nearly six hours.

Federal authorities traced the call to John Charles Robinson, 23, after reviewing phone records. He was arrested later that evening while aboard another flight to Los Angeles.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon in Detroit condemned the incident.

“These actions undermine our collective sense of safety and divert valuable security resources away from real threats,” Gorgon said. “No American wants to hear the words ‘bomb’ and ‘airplane’ in the same sentence.”

Robinson is now facing a federal charge of making a false report involving explosives, a serious crime under federal law.

He appeared in Detroit federal court last Friday, where he was charged with two felonies:

1. Using a cellphone to convey a malicious false report involving an attempt to destroy an aircraft using explosives

2. Providing a false report

The first charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with potential fines and restitution.

He was released on a personal recognizance bond and is scheduled to appear again in court on June 27.

According to the FBI investigation, Robinson admitted he made the call from his cell phone in the hope of delaying the flight long enough for him to arrive and board — avoiding the cost and hassle of booking a new ticket.

Authorities said Robinson had booked a seat on Flight 2145, but arrived at the airport too late and was told at the gate that he would need to make alternate arrangements.

At approximately 6:25 a.m., just minutes before the flight was set to depart, Robinson called Spirit Airlines, not to reschedule, but to report a bomb threat.

During the call, Robinson said, “I’m calling about Flight 2145… because I have information about that flight.

“Someone’s going to try to blow up the airport and someone else is going to try to blow up the plane,” he added

He even gave a physical description of a supposed suspect.

“They’ll try to carry a bomb through TSA,” he said “…they said it won’t be detected… please don’t let that plane take off.”