Richmond County man sentenced to federal prison for threatening to blow up Social Security office

AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man was sentenced to federal prison for threatening to blow up Augusta's Social Security office.

Keyon Tishaye Dickens, 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to 36 months in prison after pleading guilty to Using a Telephone to Make a Threat to Injure a Person or Damage a Building by Explosives, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Dickens to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

"Threats of violence against workers and customers of any facility are completely unacceptable," said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. "We commend our law enforcement partners for ensuring the safety of those in the Social Security office and assisting in holding Keyon Dickens accountable for his actions."

As described in court documents and testimony, Dickens received a notice in September 2023 that he had been receiving overpayments to his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and that the Social Security Administration intended to recoup the funds from future SSI checks. In response, Dickens called the Social Security Administration office in Augusta and said, "I'm going to shoot the office up and I'm going to blow it up. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do."

Carrying a backpack, Dickens later visited the Social Security office and showed the security guard a note that read "I have a bomb." The officer notified the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, and the building was locked down and evacuated. No bomb was found, and Richmond County deputies took Dickens into custody.

"Americans should not have to fear for their lives simply for doing their jobs or going about their daily errands," said Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Matthew Ploskunak of FBI Atlanta's Augusta Resident Agency. "Thanks to the quick response by our local law enforcement partners, this case was investigated thoroughly and quickly brought to a successful conclusion."

"This case underscores our unwavering commitment to public safety and the serious consequences of making threats of violence," said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "The actions taken by our local law enforcement not only prevented potential harm but also reaffirmed our collective responsibility to protect our communities from such reckless behavior."

"Keyon Dickens' malicious actions are criminal and intolerable. This sentence demonstrates that threats to Social Security employees and offices are felonious and will not be ignored. We will continue to aggressively respond to threats, investigate the perpetrators and seek prosecution," said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting SSA Inspector General. "I am thankful that there was no harm to SSA employees. I appreciate the immediate response from the security officers in the local SSA office, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter and I thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecuting this case."

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III.

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