A young man from Michigan was convicted for eight years of incarceration in a federal prison on Monday after he threatened to carry out an explosion on a tourist cruise ship, on board of which was his girlfriend and her family.
In a letter, dated earlier this month, the young man appeared before the judge and agents working on the case, saying: "This is all my fault, and I take full responsibility for it."
In another letter to the judge, the mother of Louis also pleaded for leniency for her son, stating: "I don't know what made my son make such a poor choice, or why he didn't think about the consequences of his actions before doing something like this."
However, the defendants asserted in their memorandum that the significant conviction should result in a "serious punitive sentence," even if no one was physically harmed by the threat.
The young man, at 19 years old, acknowledged before federal agents that he sent an email to Carnival Cruise Lines in January 2024, prompting the cruise ship to change its route to Jamaica, and the crew began searching the ship for a bomb.
In the letter written by Louis, he stated: "Hello, I think someone might have a bomb on your cruise ship Sun Rays."
Carnival investigators and FBI agents traced the electronic address to uncover where Louis was living at the time with his girlfriend's family, it is reported in the memorandum.
"Louis admitted that he sent the letter because he was bored at home while his family was on a cruise, leaving him behind," - wrote the defendants.
Louis tried to retract his admission, but by the end of the day he professed his guilt in the indictment for spreading false information.
