United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio
06/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/04/2026 14:50
Oregon Man Indicted for Bomb Threats Made to Ohio Schools
Press Release
Oregon Man Indicted for Bomb Threats Made to Ohio Schools
Thursday, June 4, 2026
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio
Schools Threatened Were Located in Cuyahoga, Lake, Lucas, Geauga, and Wood Counties
TOLEDO, Ohio - As a result of ongoing investigations into several bomb threats made to schools in northern Ohio, an 18-year-old man from Oregon has now been indicted.
On June 3, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Nathan Hayes, 18, of Sweet Home, Oregon, with six counts of making Threatening Communications Involving Explosives.
Allegations in the indictment indicate that the threats were made on or about March 4 to the following schools located in the Northern District of Ohio:
- Ottawa Hills High School, Lucas County, Ohio
- Bowling Green High School, Wood County, Ohio
- Shaker Heights High School, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
- Rocky River High School, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
- Auburn Career Center, Lake County, Ohio
- Cardinal High School, Geauga County, Ohio
According to a criminal complaint filed May 21, law enforcement began investigating bomb threats earlier this year that were made to at least 17 high schools in Ohio. The threats resulted in multiple schools being placed on lockdown while law enforcement searched for bombs or other signs of terrorism. However, the threats were found to be swatting, or hoax, calls originating from out of state. Following an investigation, federal agents identified Hayes as the caller. As alleged in the criminal complaint and affidavit, he used multiple aliases to threaten schools and organizations, offered swatting services for sale, and doxed at least one person in Illinois. Doxing is the act of publicly revealing someone's private, personally identifying information online without their consent. He also monitored media coverage to see public reaction to his swatting calls. Hayes is set for an initial appearance in federal court on June 12.
If convicted Hayes faces up to 10 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Dexter L. Phillips is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Contact
Jessica Salas Novak
Updated June 4, 2026
United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio published this content on June 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 04, 2026 at 20:51 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]