Fake Bomb Threat Could Land Teen in Prison for 20 Years

A plea deal is in the works for a Farmington teen who made a bomb threat at Farmington High School in April, the Observer & Eccentric reports.

A pretrial hearing for Deonte Erwin, 18, of Farmington, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to Aug. 12, by request of Erwin’s attorney, Jonathan Jones.

Oakland County Circuit Judge Phyllis McMillen will preside over the case, which will go to trial Sept. 29 unless a plea deal is reached. He’s currently charged with making a false report or threat of terrorism, which could land him in prison for up to 20 years if convicted and subject him to a $20,000 fine.

Erwin has been suspended from Farmington High School, where his call led to a lockdown and school search, including students’ backpacks and purses.

Investigators tracked Erwin using the Internet and other resources, the newspaper said.

After posting a bond of $2,500, Erwin is required to wear an electronic monitoring tether and stay away from Farmington Public School buildings. He also is prohibited from Internet use unless it’s for a specific school assignment.