Lake Ronkonkoma Woman Admits To Fake Bomb Threat

A Lake Ronkonkoma woman is facing up to 10 years in prison for phoning in a fake bomb threat to a Tucson, Ariz., airport in 2011.

According to a report in Newsday, Mary Purcell admitted to making the false threat on Sept. 10, 2011, because she did not want her family members to fly on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

Her mother and brother that day were scheduled to fly Southwest Airlines from Arizona to Long Island, with a stop in Baltimore.

Purcell’s false threat indicated that Flight 2475 would be the target of a bombing once it arrived in New York. She admitted that she was aware that information was false and made up the story over concerns of her family flying on 9/11.

As a result of her call to the airport in Tucson, all luggage was removed from the flight and checked for explosives. Passengers were also removed from the plane and rescreened.

It is unclear when Purcell will be sentenced.