His fake bomb threat at Idaho Capitol prompted evacuation. He faces a felony
A Pocatello man faces a felony charge after state police said he called in a fake bomb threat to the Idaho Capitol, which prompted an evacuation earlier this month.
Donald Hawkins, 58, was arrested and booked into the Bannock County Detention Center on Thursday on one felony count of false reporting of explosives, according to Idaho State Police. He appeared before 6th Judicial District Magistrate Judge Thomas Clark at the Bannock County Courthouse on Thursday afternoon, when his bond was set at $5,000, court records showed.
If Hawkins is convicted, he could face up to five years in prison under state law.
Just before 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 8, the Pocatello Police Department responded to a report of several threatening phone calls to employees of a property management company in Pocatello, police said in a news release. The caller, later identified as Hawkins, made statements threatening violence, including threats to “blow them up,” state police said.
Twenty minutes later, employees at the Capitol in Boise received threatening phone calls from the same number, according to the release. In his first call, Hawkins claimed a bomb had been planted in the building.
Hawkins is facing only a single felony count, for allegedly reporting a fake bomb threat to Equity Property Management in Pocatello, according to a criminal compliant obtained by the Statesman. He hasn’t been charged for the threat at the Capitol, and it’s unclear whether he will be.
The Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking clarification.
No explosives were found at the Capitol, but the building was evacuated out of precaution that day, state police said. The state did not notify the public of the evacuation.
These types of threats fall under the Idaho Department of Administration’s purview, Aaron Snell, a state police spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman. Troopers assist with security at the Capitol and handle criminal investigations, Snell said. To his knowledge, ISP doesn’t have an alert system to notify the public about security threats at the Capitol.
The Department of Administration might have such a system, Snell said: “I’ll have to refer you to them for additional information.” The Statesman reached out to the Department of Administration for clarification.
Hawkins was taken into protective custody by the Pocatello Police Department the same day as the bomb threat, and a follow-up investigation linked him to both threats, police said. On Tuesday, investigators were able to confirm that Hawkins’ voice matched both threats, according to ISP.
He’s expected to appear in court again for his preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. on Oct. 29, at the Bannock County Courthouse, according to court records.
“Troopers thank the Pocatello Police Department and the Idaho Department of Administration for their coordinated efforts in working the case,” state police said.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 11:26 AM.
