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Employee of Northeastern University staged explosion, FBI announces

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An employee of Northeastern University has been arrested and charged in connection with a reported explosion last month at the school, the FBI said Tuesday.

Jason Duhaime, 45, of Texas, the former New Technology Manager and Director of the Immersive Media Lab at Northeastern University, was charged in the reported explosion on Sept. 13, the FBI said.

Boston police responded to Holmes Hall, at 39 Leon St., shortly before 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 13 after receiving a report of an explosion. A Northeastern University employee, later identified as Duhaime, reported that a Pelican-style case exploded when he opened it.

“I have probable cause to believe that certain information provided by Duhaime to the 911 operator and to the federal agent—namely that he was injured by ‘sharp’ objects expelled from the Subject Case and that the case contained a threatening letter — was fabricated by Duhaime,” an FBI Special Agent wrote in an affidavit filed on Monday. “Evidence discovered during the FBI’s ongoing investigation indicates that Duhaime himself authored the threatening letter. I believe, based on the ongoing investigation, that the Subject Case contained no ‘sharp’ objects, that no objects were expelled from the case when Duhaime opened it, and that Duhaime sustained no injuries as a result of opening the Subject Case.”

The incident caused minor damage to the office and no injuries were reported.

Duhaime was charged with one count of conveying false information and hoaxes. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Tuesday afternoon.

If convicted, Duhaime faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The FBI is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

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