MONMOUTH COUNTY – A Monmouth County man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for threatening state officials and calling in fake bomb threats to local and state government offices, a police department, two law firms and more, officials said.
Eric G. Hafner, 32, formerly of Monmouth County, previously pleaded guilty on May 17, 2022, to one count of making threating communications in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to extort, one count of making threatening communications in interstate or foreign commerce, and one count of conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive device.
“This defendant repeatedly targeted public servants—elected representatives, judges, and law enforcement officials—and private citizens with threats and attempts at extortion,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “He further victimized these public officials, private citizens, and the public generally by calling in numerous false bomb threats to a courthouse, a police department, law firms, businesses, and an elected official’s office. These types of threating communications are unacceptable. They cause serious harm to victims, and will be met with a swift response by this Office. This defendant has now faced justice for these serious crimes.”
Between July 2016 and May 2018, Hafner sent numerous threats to individuals located in and around Monmouth County and elsewhere. The victims consisted of elected officials, judges, police officers, attorneys, and their families. Hafner sought to extort $350,000 from some of his victims, officials said.
In addition, Hafner made false bomb threats to an elected official’s office, a county courthouse, a police department, two law firms, and a commercial establishment.
Along with the prison term, the judge sentenced Hafner to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office; officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office; New Jersey State Police; the Bradley Beach Police Department; Fairhaven Police Department; Aberdeen Police Department; the Hazlet Police Department; Shrewsbury Police Department; the Red Bank Police Department; the Freehold Township Police Department; the Middletown Police Department; the Neptune Township Police Department; the Oceanport Police Department; the Deal Police Department; and the Manasquan Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
