Woman fined $20K for phony bomb threat to day care center

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - A lawyer must pay a $20,000 fine for making a bomb threat to a day care center at the federal courthouse in Syracuse.

Jacqueline Jones of Syracuse pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor false reporting of an incident. She admitted she called in a bomb threat to the day care center in February 2015 because she wanted to avoid a contentious court hearing.

Prosecutors say the threat caused fear and chaos in the day care, where there were 70 children.

Jones was sentenced to a year of probation and a $20,000 fine, but avoided jail time. Prosecutors had recommended six months in jail.