Bomb Threat Charges Against T.J. Miller Dropped After 3 Years

Actor T.J. Miller had a career that was taking off quite quickly just a few years ago, with key roles in Deadpool, Ready Player One, and Silicon Valley. Things slowed down for him, however, after a federal charge was placed against him for calling in an alleged false bomb threat on an Amtrak train in 2018.

Now over three years later, the charges have been dropped. The initial charge was for “intentionally conveying to law enforcement false information about an explosive device on a train traveling to Connecticut,” after it was discovered he was on an entirely different train than the one he had allegedly made the call about. According to Variety, investigators have said that Miller claimed that a woman was carrying a bomb in her bag after he had been in a hostile exchange with a woman, while possibly intoxicated. This charge also came several months after Miller was not allowed to return to the following season of Silicon Valley after a series of reportedly unprofessional behaviors on set.

Miller’s brain surgery and mental health issues prior to this incident has been cited in the case as a reason for charges to be dropped. In 2010, he learned he had a congenital brain malformation that would be the cause of future mental health struggles. He then experienced a brain hemorrhage and seizures years later, and the surgery to treat it involved removing part of his frontal lobe (via Deadline).

To help assuage the situation, Miller also agreed to pay all law enforcement costs in response to his false threat. The District of Connecticut’s official statement about the dropping of the charges reads: “The government makes this request based upon: (1) expert medical analyses and reports regarding the defendant’s prior brain surgery and its continued neurological impacts, which cast doubt upon the requisite legal element of ‘intent’ to commit the charged offense(of what turned out to be a false 911 call); and (2) the defendant having entered agreements both to make full financial restitution for the costs of the law enforcement response to the false 911 call.”