Richfield Man Pleads Guilty To False Mall Of America Bomb Plot

RICHFIELD, MN — A 62-year-old Richfield man Wednesday plead guilty in federal court to making a false bomb threat. On Aug. 13, 2018, Vincent T. Konney wrote a letter falsely accusing his wife of being part of a plot to bomb the Mall of America, according to authorities.

Using a false name, Konney sent the letter to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service in retaliation against his wife, who was in the naturalization process when the letter was sent, police said.

The letter claimed that while he was riding a bus, he overheard two women discussing a plot to blow up the Mall of America. Konney also claimed that one of the women had accidentally dropped her Social Security Card and her Permanent Resident Card.

With the letter, Konney enclosed a photocopy of his wife’s real Permanent Resident Card, police said. Konney concluded the letter by urging the government to halt a "terrorist threat" by deporting his wife.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.