NEW ORLEANS -- A Michigan man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge he phoned in a bomb threat to the Superdome during the New Orleans Saints' playoff win over the Detroit Lions on Jan. 7.
The charge brought Friday against 34-year-old Shawn H. Payton, of Jackson, Mich., carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI arrested Payton last month on a criminal complaint. He was freed on bond.
Payton, who is charged with sending threatening communications, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in New Orleans on Feb. 14.
Prosecutors said Payton called the Superdome reception desk and claimed there was a bomb in the building. In a second call, he allegedly warned of "severe consequences" if the Saints kept winning.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
