Man Who Threatened to Blow Up Buffalo VA Sentenced to Time Served

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Buffalo man who admitted to threatening to blow up the city’s veterans center has been sentenced to time served, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Demont Coston, 56, called the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hotline on Sept. 12, 2023, and repeatedly threatened to blow up the Buffalo VA building, authorities said. That same day, Coston called the hotline again and allegedly said, “I should go blow it up… I should go burn the building down.”

Two days later, authorities said Coston texted the hotline: “The VA has done nothing for me in 30 years, it’s time to get rid of them, by any means necessary.” He also said he was going to “remove all the VA facilities, but I have one in mind first” and “I’m in DC, near the main VA, ha ha ha, that’s good, I know where to contact them.”

Coston pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal employee earlier this month.