Man convicted of bomb threat to Social Security Administration in Augusta

A Richmond County man was recently sentenced to federal prison after threatening to blow up Augusta's Social Security office nearly a year ago.

Keyon Tishaye Dickens, 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to making threats by telephone to injure a person or damage a building with explosives, according to a press release from Jill E. Steinberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered that Dickens be placed on three years of supervised release after completing his sentence, the release said. There is no parole in the federal system.

As described in court documents and testimony, Dickens received notice in September 2023 that he was receiving overpayments for his Supplemental Security Income and that the Social Security Administration intended to recover the funds from future SSI checks, the release said.

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In response, Dickens called the Social Security Administration office in Augusta and said, “I’m going to blow up the office. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet,” according to the press release.

Armed with a backpack, Dickens later visited the Social Security office and showed the security guard a note that said, “I have a bomb,” the news release said. The officer notified the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, and the building was cordoned off and evacuated.

No bomb was found and Richmond County officials took Dickens into custody, according to previous reports.

“Keyon Dickens’ malicious actions are criminal and intolerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, SSA Acting Inspector General. “This sentence shows that threats against Social Security employees and offices are a criminal offense and will not be ignored. We will continue to aggressively respond to threats, investigate and prosecute perpetrators.”

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