A former Northeastern University employee has been convicted of staging a hoax explosion and lying to an FBI agent about the hoax.

Jason Duhaime, 46, formerly of San Antonio, was convicted by a federal jury in Boston of intentionally conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive device, and two counts of making materially false statements to a federal law enforcement agent.

Back in September 2022 when Duhaime was a lab worker at Northeastern, he reportedly called the Northeastern Police Department and claimed that he was injured by sharp objects expelled from a plastic case he opened inside the lab.

Duhaime told an emergency police dispatcher that he and a Northeastern student working in the Immersive Media Lab had collected several packages — including two plastic “Pelican cases” — from a mail area and brought them into the lab.

Duhaime said that when he opened one of the cases inside a storage closet, “very sharp” objects flew out of the case and under his shirt sleeves, causing injuries to his arms.

Duhaime also reported that the case contained an anonymous “violent note” threatening to “destroy the lab” and stating: “In the case you got today we could have planted explosives but not this time!!! Take notice!!! You have two months to take operations down or else!!!!! WE ARE WATCHING YOU.”

Duhaime’s report and concern about a second, unopened Pelican case triggered a significant law enforcement response that included: the assistance of the Boston Police Department’s bomb squad, the assistance of multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies, and the evacuation of a portion of the Northeastern campus.

In statements to first responders and in subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Duhaime provided statements about the incident that were consistent with what he told the emergency police dispatcher. He expressly denied fabricating his story about the Pelican case, the anonymous threat letter, and the injuries to his arms.

Then during a search of Duhaime’s office at Northeastern, several laptop computers were found. A forensic examination of one of the computers revealed a word-for-word electronic copy of the anonymous threat letter that Duhaime claimed was inside the Pelican case.

According to evidence presented during the trial, this electronic copy of the threat letter was created and printed between approximately 2:50 p.m. and 3:56 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2022 – just hours before he reported the incident to the Northeastern Police Department.

“Bomb hoaxes like the one the defendant fabricated here have real life consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Communities are put in fear, law enforcement personnel are diverted from other important duties and there are significant financial repercussions.

“As we experience a wave of bomb hoaxes in schools, houses of worship and other gathering places, we will work closely with our local, state and federal partners to hold accountable anyone who tries to inject fear and distress into our community,” Levy added.

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The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in cooperation with the Northeastern University Police Department.

“Staging a hoax explosion and lying to the FBI about it isn’t a harmless act. It’s a crime,” said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners take all threats to life seriously because protecting human life is our absolute priority.

“Anyone who pulls a stunt like this should expect the FBI to investigate and you should consider whether you really want to end up where Jason Duhaime is now awaiting sentencing for three federal felonies,” Cohen added.

The charges of intentionally conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive device and making materially false statements to a federal law enforcement agent can each lead to a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

He’s set to be sentenced on Oct. 2.