FBI Links Casino Bomb Threat Suspect to Violent Extremist Group Targeting Children

A 21-year-old Northern Ireland man accused of targeting US casinos with bomb threats is a “high-ranking member” of a global online network that coerces children into self-harm, the FBI told a court Friday.

Jack Bogle, 21, of Strabane, County Tyrone, allegedly operated under the online alias “Decay” while directing extortion threats against Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Hollywood Park Casino in California, and Turfway Park Racing & Gaming in Kentucky.

He is accused of falsely claiming explosives were planted at the properties, demanding $5,000 and a BMW from Mohegan Sun, and threatening to carry out a mass shooting at Turfway Park.

According to court proceedings reported Friday (Oct. 16) by Northern Irish journalist Tanya Fowles for Armagh I, Bogle faces numerous charges related to threats, blackmail, and unauthorized computer access.

Federal authorities say his alleged targets extended well beyond gaming properties, including Denver International Airport, the World Trade Center shopping complex in New York, and a North Carolina hospital.

In one demand, he allegedly sought $80,000 and “a very fast car” from a Texas nuclear power plant.

High-Ranking Role in Sinister Online Ring

During Friday’s hearing, a detective told Dungannon Magistrates’ Court that the FBI had contacted Northern Irish police and identified Bogle as a high-ranking member of an online network that coerces vulnerable young people into recording acts of self-harm and abuse.

The FBI’s characterization closely matches the operational methods of “764,” a network federal authorities describe as a violent online group seeking to manipulate children into committing extreme acts of violence, self-harm, and suicide. However, 764 was not explicitly named in the court reporting, and investigators have not formally confirmed a direct link.

Bogle was originally arrested in February and released on conditional bail. However, police rearrested him after he allegedly breached strict internet restrictions by posting images online holding firearms.

District Judge Francis Rafferty denied bail during Friday’s hearing, remanding Bogle in custody until a scheduled appearance on Nov. 5.

Spate of Unresolved Casino Bomb Hoaxes

The revelations raise fresh questions about a wave of bomb hoaxes that disrupted US gaming facilities and hospitals earlier this year—a timeframe that directly overlaps with Bogle’s alleged activity.

On January 15, Parkwest Bicycle Casino in California was evacuated after a caller threatened a shooting and bombing unless paid $50,000. On January 31, bomb threats forced evacuations at several Oklahoma tribal casinos, including Comanche Nation Casino, with the FBI assisting tribal police. Hospitals were also targeted during the Oklahoma bomb-hoax wave.

The FBI declined to comment when asked whether those broader cases are directly linked to Bogle’s ongoing prosecution.