Buffalo man admits to threatening to blow up VA – Finger Lakes Daily News

A Buffalo man who threatened to blow up the VA pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Buffalo.

Demont Coston, 56, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal employee, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Henning, who is handling the case, said that on September 12, 2023, Coston called the Veterans Affairs Crisis Line and repeatedly threatened to blow up the Buffalo VA building. Later that day, Coston called the VA Crisis Line again and said, “I should go blow it up… I should go burn the building down.” On September 14, 2023, Coston texted the Crisis Line saying, “The VA has done nothing for me in 30 years, it’s time to get rid of them, by any means necessary.” Coston also said he was going to “destroy every VA building, but I have one in mind first” and “I’m in DC, near the main VA, ha ha ha well, I know where to hit them.”

This complaint is the result of an investigation by the VA Medical Center Police, under the direction of Chief Richard King, and the VA Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri.

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