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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Dallas teen who threatened on Facebook last year to blow up the West Side Career and Technology Center avoided jail time during his sentencing Friday in county court.</p><p>Brandon Lee Abney, 20, of Janell Lane, was sentenced to two years in the county&#8217;s Intermediate Punishment Program (IPP) concurrent with one year of house arrest on one felony count of making terroristic threats, which stemmed from what police said was a menacing message he posted to a friend on May 17.</p><p>The message resulted in the evacuation and search of the school, located on Evans Street in Pringle.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint, several students advised Principal Richard Rava that a threatening post was circulating on Facebook.</p><p>Rava was shown the posting, which was sent to a female student before school, that asked, &#8220;Is school out yet?&#8221;</p><p>Shortly after the initial posting, police claim Abney replied, &#8220;It will be if we blow up the building. LOL.&#8221;</p><p>Police later found Abney at his home, where the teen at first claimed he was &#8220;just joking&#8221; before admitting he understood the gravity of the situation and why the post would alarm people.</p><p>Judge Tina Polachek Gartley ordered Abney to pay $669 in restitution to the Pringle Fire Department and write an apology letter to the school. The judge also indicated Abney&#8217;s community service could involve educational programs regarding the dangers of the Internet.</p><p>Abney was ordered to keep off social media.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Brandon Lee Abney, shown here being led into a judge&#8217;s office after making a bomb threat via social media, avoided jail time Friday during his sentencing in county court. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL052115bombthreat-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Brandon Lee Abney, shown here being led into a judge&#8217;s office after making a bomb threat via social media, avoided jail time Friday during his sentencing in county court. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dallas teen who threatened to blow up school on Facebook avoids jail time