Woman charged with bomb threat against Montana Trappers Association

A 64-year-old New Mexico woman has pleaded not guilty to federal charges stemming from an indictment alleging that she called in a bomb threat during a Montana Trappers Association banquet in May.

Dora Sandra Gomez, also known as Bella Gomez, of Albuquerque, entered the plea to charges of issuing false information and hoaxes in U.S. District Court in Missoula on Oct. 14, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Prosecutors allege that on May 8 Gomez made an anonymous phone call to the Frontier Event Center in Dillon, which was hosting a banquet of the Montana Trappers Association. During the call she is alleged to have "stated that a remotely operated explosive device was located inside the building where the banquet was taking place and people could get hurt, or words to that effect,” federal officials said.

The phoned threat did not go directly to the Dillon Police Department, but once police were advised of the call around 8 p.m., officers responded to the banquet and evacuated the hall, Dillon Police Chief Don Guiberson told the Montana Standard.

No one was hurt. Hours later, a bomb-sniffing dog found no evidence of explosives. The banquet resumed the next day.

Charging documents do not indicate how the FBI identified Gomez or how she was brought into custody.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto released Gomez pending further proceedings.

A trial date has been set for Dec. 20 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen in Missoula.

If convicted, Gomez faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Sounds like she has a liberal judge if she was released without bail.

Don't expect much from the trial judge either:
https://ballotpedia.org/Dana_Christensen

When the justice system fails us, make a note.

Domestic terrorist.

Glad they caught her, now hope they don't plea down.

Domestic terrorists have all the rights now.

Seems like a lot of these wackos, in our general region at least, are from New Mexico.

Very light sentence in my opinion, looks like the court did not order any restitution for what she did. Judge accepted the plea agreement, seems that the prosecutors didn't take the case very seriously.

From the Dillon Tribune -

The New Mexico woman who admitted calling in a bomb threat at Montana Trappers Association banquet held in Dillon last year received two years of probation and a $1,000 fine in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana last week.Dora Sandra Gomez of Albuquerque, New Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to interstate communication of a threat in December 2021. She was sentenced March 30 by District Judge Dana L. Christiansen, who accepted the plea agreement in the case, according to the judgment filed in the case.Gomez, also called Bella Gomez, admitted calling into the banquet at the Frontier Events Center.

Throw the book at her.Hopefully she gets the maximum.

She should just disappear.

She may just do that. To Mexico.
Sounds like she's home free though.