A Texas man has plead guilty to falsely reporting a shooting threat in attempt to delay a Megabus traveling from Memphis to Dallas, according to Edward L. Stanton III, who announced the guilty plea today.
Kirk Stuart, 35, of Austin, Texas, was due to catch a Megabus to Dallas along with his girlfriend. When Stuart became concerned they would miss their ride, he hatched a scheme that he hoped would keep the Megabus stationed at the Memphis Area Transit Authority North End Terminal long enough for the two to board.
After borrowing a companion’s cell phone, Stewart called 911 operators and falsely advised them that his fictitious brother had boarded the bus and was about to do “something for Allah, a Muslim thing for Allah.”
By the time Memphis Police Department officers made it to MATA’s North End terminal, the Megabus had already departed for Dallas. After determining the bus was traveling through Arkansas, MPD advised the Arkansas State Police.
The Megabus was located and subsequently searched in Little Rock, Arkansas. Police were unable to find anybody matching the fictitious description provided by Stuart.
After investigating further, law enforcement developed Stuart as a suspect of false report. He was then interviewed by FBI agents in Dallas, and admitted to falsely reporting the incident so that he and his girlfriend could make the bus on time.
Stuart has plead guilty to one count of willfully and maliciously conveying false information. He will be sentenced on March 24, 2017 by a federal judge, and faces up to five years in prison as well as a fine up to $250,000.
The case is still under investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
