Man Arrested for Planting Fake Bomb at Harvard to Plead Guilty to Misdemeanor Charge

William A. Giordani, a New Hampshire man arrested for planting a fake bomb on Harvard’s campus, is scheduled to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge in a hearing Wednesday as part of a plea agreement, according to a Thursday legal filing.

Giordani was arrested in May on charges of aiding and abetting interstate conspiracy and making extortionate threats following a joint investigation by the FBI, the Harvard University Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department.

He was indicted in June on one count of aiding and abetting false information and hoaxes and one count of misprision of a felony, which refers to failing to report felonious activity to proper authorities. Giordani had previously pleaded not guilty on both counts.

Giordani’s public defender, Jane F. Peachy, wrote in a statement to The Crimson that Giordani “only intends to plead guilty to count two of the indictment, i.e. misprision of a felony, and not conspiracy or aiding and abetting a bomb hoax.”

Authorities alleged that on April 13, Giordiani placed a bag on a bench in the Science Center Plaza containing fireworks, a metal safe, and wires, leading to the area’s evacuation. The bag was later deemed safe and no explosion was reported.

According to an affidavit filed by HUPD Officer and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Karns, an individual can be seen on an internet livestream of the plaza placing the bag in question on the bench. Karns wrote that there was “probable cause to believe” that the person was Giordani.

Giordani allegedly said he responded to a Craigslist advertisement from an individual claiming to be a Harvard parent named “Nguyen Minh,” directing him to place the bag in the Science Center Plaza.

According to the filing, Giordani claimed he drove to Worcester, Mass. after placing the bag to receive payment from the man, who then refused to meet Giordani and admitted “Nguyen Minh” was a false identity. Giordani also said the man spewed racist and antisemitic comments on the phone call.

HUPD received a series of calls on April 13 from a “computer generated male voice” claiming to have planted three bombs on Harvard’s campus that would detonate if demands for “large” amounts of Bitcoin were not met, according to court records. The caller eventually admitted one of the locations was the plaza, which led HUPD to discover the bag and evacuate the area.

Prosecutors have yet to say whether they believe Giordani was the primary organizer of the bomb threat or simply an accomplice.

After a May court hearing, Peachy said she did not believe her client to be the main facilitator of the extortion attempt and that he struggled with substance abuse, according to The Boston Globe.

“It looks like he was duped,” Peachy said to reporters at the time.

According to Karns’ affidavit, Giordani told the FBI that “he spoke to the person who placed the craigslist ad” and that the individual had informed him that “he would be calling Harvard Police to make a bomb threat to get money.”

Karns concluded that there is “probable cause” to believe that Giordani “did aid and abet another individual” who intended to extort Harvard.

In May, Giordani was released on an unsecured bond under the conditions that he would enter a substance abuse and treatment program and avoid Harvard’s campus.

Giordani’s plea hearing will take place on Jan. 10.

—Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.

—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.