FanX co-founder found guilty of emailing bomb threats
Jul 25, 2023, 2:28 PM | Updated: 2:54 pm
Salt Lake Comic Con co-founder Bryan Brandenburg speaks during the Salt Lake Comic Con kick off press conference at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014. (Michelle Tessier/Deseret News)
(Michelle Tessier/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — A former Utah resident and co-founder of the pop-culture convention FanX was convicted of sending bomb threats to multiple Utah locations.
On Friday, a Hawaiian jury found 64-year-old Bryan Melvin Brandenburg guilty of one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and six counts of making threats and conveying false information regarding the use of explosives, according to court documents.
Brandenburg is no longer involved with Salt Lake City’s FanX conventions.
KSL.com reported from charging documents that Brandenburg threatened to bomb Salt Lake’s Matheson Courthouse and mayor’s office, Utah’s State Capitol, locations at the University of Utah, and “the sacred temple.”
On May 2, Brandenburg emailed Utah’s Third District Court employees about his pending divorce. When the ruling from the judge didn’t come quickly enough, he sent an email with an expletive. The court replied to Brandenburg, saying such language wouldn’t be tolerated, and he responded by writing, “I guess I’ll just have to bomb the city,” KSL.com reported.
Co-founder of FanX charged with making bomb threats to Utah locations
Two days later, court records show Brandenburg sending more emails with bomb threats.
“We’re still going to bomb the 3rd District Courthouse. Hae (sic) a nice day,” one email stated.
According to court records, other emails stated, “Now we’re going to bomb the State Capital (sic),” and “An then…We’ll bomb the mayor’s office.” Other bomb threats were made against “every Ivy League School” and a federal courthouse in San Diego “to teach them a lesson.”
On May 6 in Hawaii, where Brandenburg now resides, FBI agents interviewed him about the sent emails. Brandenburg stated he acknowledged sending the emails and read them out loud. During the interview, Brandenburg told agents the emails were to pressure the court and his family to “get his money back that they stole from him.” He was arrested a few days after the interview.
According to court documents, Brandenburg will be sentenced on Nov 9.
