Oregon man pleads guilty to bomb threats targeting Northwell hospital

An Oregon man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to charges related to making false bomb threats against Jewish hospitals and care centers, including Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Domagoj Patkovic, 31, of Portland admitted to conspiring to make threats concerning explosives and conveying false information about explosives, U.S. Attorney John Durham said. When sentenced, he faces up 15 years in prison.

“As he admitted today, the defendant intentionally targeted Jewish hospitals and care centers in our district with bomb threats,” Durham said. “In doing so, he needlessly endangered patients and staff and diverted critical law enforcement resources from their core mission of keeping our community safe.”

Patkovic’s threats spanned multiple states. Though they were particularly disruptive in New York.

Prosecutors reported that he and his co-conspirators began making anonymous calls in May 2021, issuing violent threats, including claims that explosive devices had been planted at Jewish medical facilities.

On Sept. 15, 2021, Patkovic called Northwell’s Long Island Jewish Valley Stream and falsely claimed that he had placed C-4 explosives in maintenance closets. The threat led to a partial evacuation and lockdown of the hospital.

Patkovic further escalated that hoax by calling 911 and repeating the bomb threat to responding officers, federal prosecutors said. During the call with the NYPD dispatcher, he demanded money and used antisemitic slurs.

Prosecutors revealed that Patkovic livestreamed these threats on Discord, capturing his face on video.

Investigators linked Patkovic to a broader campaign of swatting and bomb threats that targeted Jewish institutions, reinforcing what prosecutors described as his “religious animus against Jews and his desire to act on that animus.”

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