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Man Gets 5 Years For False US Court Bomb Report

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - A man who reported a false plot to bomb the Grand Rapids federal courthouse has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Anthony Fortuna was accused of telling the FBI in 2010 that he was offered $5,000 to join the scheme by someone who was being prosecuted by the government. The claim was false.

Kalamazoo federal Judge Paul Maloney sentenced Fortuna to the maximum punishment Monday. Federal prosecutor Hagen Frank says Fortuna's criminal record began in 1994 - when he made a false fire alarm.

He pleaded guilty to the courthouse threat in September and also admitted to making false threats against the Palisades nuclear plant. Defense lawyer Sean Tilton says Fortuna is remorseful and wants to turn his life around.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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