Billy Granger Jr., 40, of Lovington, N.M., has been charged in a federal complaint with sending a threatening message to an employee at Nor-Lea Hospital using interstate communications.

The Lovington Police Department arrested Granger on Aug. 7, 2020, and the FBI took custody of him, charging him with transmitting via interstate communications a threat to injure the person of another.

Granger is accused of sending an email containing a bomb threat to the marketing manager at the Lovington hospital on July 24.

Lovington police conducted a sweep of the facility and did not find a bomb.

Granger had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Roswell on Aug. 11. A preliminary/detention hearing is set for Aug. 17 in U.S. District Court in Las Cruces.

If convicted, Granger faces up to five years in prison.

The FBI is investigating this case with the assistance of the Lovington Police Department.

Criminal complaints are only accusations.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.