JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Wednesday there was a status hearing in federal court for the man who is accused of making a bomb threat on an airplane that was forced to make an emergency landing in Jacksonville.
Evan Sims faces charges of false information and threats regarding the possession of an explosive on an airplane and appeared in federal court for a status hearing.
Sims could spend 5 years in federal prison if he is convicted of making bomb threats aboard a plane on December 5th. In Wednesday's status hearing the state and the defense agreed to delay the next day in court for Sims until March 5th with the goal of both sides reaching a settlement.
More than 2 weeks after his flight from Orlando to Providence was rerouted to Jacksonville because of references to a bomb that Sims is accused of making, he was back inside a federal courtroom for a status hearing.
When Sims was escorted into the courtroom he nodded at the courtroom sketch artist. The sketch artist said that the last time he saw Sims the defendant waved at him and approved of the sketch. This continued a theme of levity that Sims has displayed in court including his first appearance in jail on December 6th.
"Anytime you say bomb at the airport you go to jail, who said bomb?" asked a judge during the December 6th appearance.
"Sir, I said calm, and somebody thought I said bomb," replied Sims.
According to a criminal complaint, multiple times on the flight Sims is accused of saying that his travel companion, who was his fiancé, had a bomb on the plane. The complaint said that the statement was overheard by members of the flight crew and multiple passengers, one of whom is an off-duty law enforcement officer.
After the status hearing Sims's attorney said that she had no comment related to the hearing or the motion to delay her client's next appearance until March.
The flight that Sims was on made an emergency landing in Jacksonville just minutes after it took off from Orlando on December 5th. His next court appearance in the case where he is charged with making bomb threats on a plane is scheduled for March 5th, 3 months after he was supposed to land back in his home of Providence.