Parking Garage Snafu Allegedly Leads to Airport Bomb Threat

Airport parking fees are pretty steep these days—so steep they allegedly prompted a Louisiana man to phone in a bomb threat. Per a DOJ press release, 35-year-old Corey Johnson of Alexandria tried to leave the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport's short-term parking garage on Nov. 7 but "was unable to render payment," per an affidavit. He allegedly balked at staff and police requests that he move his vehicle from the exit lane, but ultimately drove to a surface lot where his car was to remain until he could come up with the money to pay, Business Insider reports.

Per the affidavit, some two hours after Johnson tried to exit, the airport's operator received a call from a man demanding that they "page Hassan" and saying, "If you do not page him, we have the bomb." Less than an hour later, a second call came in from the same number, with the caller "attempting to disguise his voice," the affidavit says. Authorities say the tone of the second call was more aggressive than the first, with the caller threatening to cut the operator's throat. "I want him to bring the bomb to level three," the caller said.

Deputies traced the phone to Johnson and say they found him in the car in the surface lot and arrested him; when they dialed the number that had placed the calls, they say they observed Johnson's phone ring. He has been charged with one count of willfully making a threat and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.