Two Men Threaten to Blow Up Marietta Travel Agency

Cobb County police are still on the lookout for two men who are believed to be armed and dangerous after an alarming report was made Sunday afternoon.

According to the owner of a travel agency off of Windy Hill Road, two men entered his building and threatened to blow up the building with everyone inside. One of the men then poured a bottle full of gasoline all over the front counter.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, I will outline the criminal offense that could have occurred if the two alleged suspects had not stopped after pouring gasoline on the counter.

Terroristic Acts in Georgia

Terroristic Acts in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §16-11-37 as:

A person commits the offense of a terrorist act when:

• He or she uses a burning or flaming cross or other burning or flaming symbol or flambeau with the intent to terrorize another or another's household;
• While not in the commission of a lawful act, he or she shoots at or throws an object at a conveyance which is being operated or which is occupied by passengers; or
• He or she releases any hazardous substance or any simulated hazardous substance under the guise of a hazardous substance for the purpose of terrorizing another; for the purpose of causing the evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation; for the purpose of otherwise causing serious public inconvenience; or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing the terror, evacuation, or inconvenience.

Terroristic Acts is classified as a felony offense in Georgia. This means that the penalty can include up to ten years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.

There are also situations in which the penalty can be exacerbated.

If the act is to retaliate against anyone from providing to a law enforcement officer, community supervision officer, probation officer, prosecuting attorney, or judge any information relating to the commission or possible commission of an offense, then the penalty can increase up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $50,000.

If the act is to retaliate against anyone from attending a judicial or administrative proceeding as a witness, attorney, judge, clerk of court, deputy clerk of court, court reporter, community supervision officer, probation officer, or other party or producing any record, document, or another object in a judicial or official proceeding, then the penalty can increase up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $50,000.

If a victim suffers a severe physical injury, the penalty can increase up to 40 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Practice Note

In this situation, however, the act was not carried out. The owner of the travel agency was able to press the panic button inside of his office which instigated an alarm causing the two men to flee the building. The two men could be facing charges of Terroristic Threats in Georgia.

No matter what the charge - if you or a loved one has been arrested, contact our offices today. A Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer can provide you with a free phone consultation now and walk you through your options.