Somerville Student, 29, Charged in UMass Boston Bomb Threats

A 29-year-old University of Massachusetts Boston student was charged with making a pair of bomb threats this month.

Dean Beckford, a senior from Somerville, allegedly made the threats April 17 and April 22, according to UMass Boston officials. They did not reveal a motive.

In both incidents, a call was received at about 12:45 p.m. at a dean’s office in Wheatley Hall. The caller claimed there was "an imminent danger of an explosion in the building," officials said. Each time, the building was evacuated. No explosive devices were found.

“Although we apologize for the inconvenience that these incidents caused for students, faculty, and staff, campus safety is always our highest priority,” said UMass Boston Police Chief Donald Baynard in a statement. “I hope this will be a clear and resounding message that we take these types of actions very seriously, and will aggressively investigate and pursue criminal charges when unfounded threats are made to the safety of the campus.”