Brian K. Williams, the former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, has agreed to plead guilty to a serious felony charge after falsely reporting a bomb threat targeting City Hall in 2024, according to federal prosecutors. Williams, 61, from Pasadena, California, faces one felony count of making a fire and explosives threat. This charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to ten years, as outlined by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in a statement released on May 22.
The bomb threat incident occurred in October 2024 while Williams was still serving as the deputy mayor for public safety. The severity of the allegation sent shockwaves through the city’s leadership, especially as it came from someone holding such a critical role in maintaining public security. By December 2024, the FBI had stepped in, conducting a search of Williams’ residence as part of the ongoing investigation into the threat. The Los Angeles Police Department suggested that Williams was the likely source behind the false alarm.
This case quickly escalated to the federal level, primarily because of the complex relationship Williams had with local law enforcement agencies. Following the search, Mayor Karen Bass’s office confirmed that Williams was immediately placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.
Akil Davis, the FBI’s Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office, spoke out about the betrayal felt by the city and law enforcement officers. He emphasized the heightened responsibility government officials carry and expressed relief that Williams is now taking accountability for what he called “inexplicable actions.” The forthcoming weeks will see Williams making his initial appearance in federal court in downtown Los Angeles.
What makes this case particularly unusual is the method Williams used to fabricate the threat. Prosecutors revealed details about how he masked the origin of the call. On October 3, 2024, during a virtual meeting, Williams utilized a voice application on his personal cellphone to place a call to his city-issued phone. After leaving the meeting, he contacted the chief of staff of the Los Angeles Police Department and claimed that he had received a bomb threat from an unknown caller.
Williams reported that the caller had threatened to place a bomb inside City Hall, specifically mentioning the rotunda, and he immediately took action by notifying law enforcement. Roughly ten minutes after the call, Williams sent a text message to Mayor Bass and several other senior city officials about the alleged threat, which occurred around 10:48 a.m. According to his message, the caller expressed frustration with the city’s support for Israel and declared his intent to bomb City Hall.
In response, police officers conducted a thorough search of City Hall but found no suspicious devices or packages. Prosecutors later uncovered that the incoming call record Williams showed to police was actually the call he had made to himself through the Google Voice app on his personal phone, intended to disguise the origin of the fake threat.
Despite the gravity of the claim, there was no moment when Williams intended to follow through on any actual attack, the prosecutors clarified. It was a fabricated report designed to deceive authorities.
Williams’ career in public service has been long and varied. Mayor Karen Bass announced his appointment as deputy mayor for public safety in February 2023. Before that, Williams served as the executive director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission. His background also includes previous experience as deputy mayor under former Mayor James Hahn and a stint as a special assistant city attorney in the Office of the City Attorney.
The bomb threat case has cast a shadow over his extensive public career and raised serious questions about trust and responsibility within city leadership. As the legal process unfolds, the community and city officials alike watch closely to see how this high-profile case will conclude, with Williams poised to face the consequences of his false report.
