National Football League

Lions fan pleads guilty to bomb threats

Published Jun. 2, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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A Lions fan who called in two bomb threats during Detroit's playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome in January pleaded guilty to the offense in court.

Shawn Payton, 34, admitted a felony charge of using interstate communications to transmit a threat as he appeared Friday afternoon in US District Court in Detroit, MLive.com reported.

Payton called in the hoax threats from his home in Jackson, Mich., in a bizarre attempt to halt the Jan. 7 game, which the Saints went on to win 45-28, after finding a contact for the Superdome reception on the internet.

According to the indictment, he told the receptionist, "I will blow up your building."

In the second message, which was recorded by police after the first threat was reported, he ordered, "I want you to relay a message to the sideline: If your stupid Southern team keeps winning, there will be ... severe consequences, OK?"

FBI agents traced phone records to nab Payton, who later issued a public apology in a newspaper interview.

He said the bomb threats were delivered "in the heat of the moment" and were "something I regret."

Payton will be sentenced Sept. 6. He faces a maximum of five years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

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