Augusta Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening to Blow Up Social Security Office
Keyon Tishaye Dickens, 39, of Augusta, Georgia, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Using a Telephone to Make a Threat to Injure a Person or Damage a Building by Explosives. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Dickens to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The incident began in September 2023 when Dickens received a notice from the Social Security Administration (SSA) informing him that he had been receiving overpayments to his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The SSA intended to recoup the funds from his future SSI checks. Enraged by this, Dickens called the SSA office in Augusta and issued a violent threat over the phone, stating, “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.”
Shortly after the threatening call, Dickens arrived at the Augusta SSA office carrying a backpack. He handed the security guard a handwritten note that read, “I have a bomb.” The guard immediately alerted the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, which responded by locking down and evacuating the building. Upon investigation, no bomb was found on Dickens or in his backpack. Richmond County deputies quickly took Dickens into custody without further incident.
“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 (ATF). “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.”
Following the evacuation and lockdown of the SSA office, the FBI, ATF, and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office worked together to investigate the incident. Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Matthew Ploskunak of the FBI’s Augusta Resident Agency emphasized the importance of the collaboration, stating, “Americans should not have to fear for their lives simply for doing their jobs or going about their daily errands. Thanks to the quick response by our local law enforcement partners, this case was investigated thoroughly and quickly brought to a successful conclusion.”
U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg commended law enforcement’s efforts, stating, “Threats of violence against workers and customers of any facility are completely unacceptable. 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.”
Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, expressed her appreciation for the rapid response, adding, “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. 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 ATF in investigating this matter and thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III for the Southern District of Georgia, with the investigation conducted 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.
