L.A. County man sentenced for false claims of mass-casualty attacks on U.S. military facilities

A Santa Fe Springs man has been sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for reporting online tips to the U.S. Department of Defense that falsely claimed mass-casualty attacks at U.S. military facilities in Los Angeles and Orange counties were being planned by various women, officials announced Tuesday.

Daniel Sandoval, 29, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson. Sandoval pleaded guilty in February in Los Angeles federal court to one count of false information and hoaxes.

On March 21, 2021, Sandoval provided an online tip to the DOD reporting system that falsely stated that a woman identified in court documents as S.C. was planning to detonate bombs in an attack at a U.S. Navy weapons facility in Seal Beach. According to Sandoval's tip, the attack would involve "blowing up military vehicles stationed there and civilian personnel vehicles," court papers show.

During the following two days, Sandoval made seven more online tips to the DOD, falsely identifying additional women who purportedly posed threats. For example, on March 22, 2021, Sandoval provided an online tip to the DOD that falsely stated a woman identified in court documents as S.H. and others planned to detonate bombs at a U.S. military hospital in Bell Gardens.

On March 23, 2021, Sandoval provided a false online tip to the Defense Department that falsely stated another woman and others were planning to bomb and conduct a mass shooting at a U.S. Army Reserve Center in South El Monte.

Sandoval admitted in his plea agreement that his conduct substantially disrupted public and government functions and services, including the evacuation of personnel from a Navy building due to a false tip.

Sandoval's "unlawful conduct harmed not only the military bases he targeted and the personnel living or working on those bases, but also harmed the innocent women who he claimed were perpetrating these dangerous threats," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

The FBI's Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation in the matter.