Oregon Man Sentenced To Prison For Bomb Threat Scheme Targeting Jewish Hospitals On LI: Feds

BROOKLYN, NY — Domagoj Patkovic was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison for conspiring to make threats and conveying false information about explosives at historically Jewish hospitals on Long Island, prosecutors said.

As set forth in the indictment and in court filings, beginning at least as early as May 2021, Patkovic, 31, of Oregon, and others made anonymous phone calls in which they made violent threats, including threats to detonate explosive devices, to Jewish hospitals and care centers, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District said.

Targets were within Long Island and New York City, along with other targets throughout the United States, Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said.

Patkovic made threats in at least six separate calls to hospitals and also on a call with local law enforcement who had responded to a 911 call from one of the hospitals, prosecutors said.

To amplify his hate-filled actions, Patkovic livestreamed the calls to others on an online social media and electronic communications platform, Nocella said.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia said: “These hoax threats, motivated by Patkovic’s insidious antisemitic views, wasted law enforcement resources and put innocent lives at risk."

On several occasions, local police responded to the scene and conducted bomb sweeps. On at least one occasion in September 2021, the hoax bomb threat resulted in a partial evacuation and lockdown of an entire hospital on Long Island.

No explosive devices were ultimately found in any of the locations, prosecutors said.

“The defendant endangered patients and diverted precious law enforcement resources to advance his hateful agenda against people of the Jewish faith. His actions fed a rising tide of antisemitism in America,” Nocella said.