LOS ANGELES, CA — A Sun Valley man has been sentenced to federal prison for threatening to bomb the FBI Field Office in Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.
Mark William Anten, 53, was sentenced to 15 months by U.S. District Judge Wesley L. Hsu after being convicted in June on two counts of making threats through interstate communication.
Prosecutors said Anten sent a series of threatening emails to the FBI between July and December 2023. In the messages, he referenced Theodore Kaczynski, the “Unabomber,” who killed three people and injured dozens in bombings between 1978 and 1995. Kaczynski died in federal custody in June.
Among the emails, Anten explicitly threatened the FBI office in Westwood, writing in one message, “I AM THE UNABOMBER” and “I WILL UNABOMB THE LOS ANGELES FBI HQ.” In another email, he said, “I can go on a mass murder spree. In fact, it would be very explainable by your actions,” before signing off with the phrase, “SuperMax or Death.” He also attached a screenshot of a search for “how to make a dirty bomb.”
Despite a warning in November 2023 by FBI agents outside his home to stop contacting the agency, Anten continued sending threatening messages. Surveillance footage later confirmed that Anten visited the FBI Field Office on the same day he sent one of his emails.
Prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of his threats, which prompted heightened security measures at the federal facility. Authorities noted that the sentence underscores the consequences of threatening public safety and federal agencies.
