Lamar University student accused of threatening graduation

BEAUMONT — A lamar university doctoral student is in custody after investigators said he made terroristic threats about disrupting upcoming graduation ceremonies.

Thirty-four-year-old Daniel Ogwoka Siringi was in jail Wednesday night at the jefferson county correctional facility on a third-degree degree felony charge of making a terroristic threat, Officer David Byars told The Associated Press early Thursday.

Investigators said Siringi denied any involvement in an anonymous e-mail sent to the school's president and said secretaries in the graduate office were trying to victimize him. Siringi, a chemical engineering doctoral student, was denied graduation for not meeting the academic standard for his thesis.

Investigators determined that out of 11 students who paid for graduation and were denied degrees or participation, Siringi was the only student who was blaming the school or university staff.

jefferson county district attorney Tom maness told Beaumont television station KFDM that he felt the alleged threat was comparable to the 2007 virginia tech shootings in which a student killed 32 people before turning the gun on himself.

"We don't take this lightly, we have zero tolerance for these," said maness, the beaumont enterprise reported Wednesday in an online story.

Siringi's bond was set at $200,000. It was not clear if he had obtained an attorney.

School president james simmons said he could not comment because of the ongoing investigation.

Byars said Siringi would have an arraignment hearing Thursday morning at the jefferson county jail.

Investigators spoke with Siringi on Dec. 12 at his job and he denied sending the e-mail. Police searched his home on Wednesday to find clothing or other items to link the student to the e-mail.

According to a lamar university Web site devoted to the chemical engineering department, Siringi works for the texas commission on environmental quality. His voice mail message said he is in the enforcement division.

The e-mail was traced to a FedEx Kinko's print shop near his office. Investigators viewed surveillance video from December 10, and the affidavit states they positively identified Siringi at that location, purchasing time for use on a computer that corresponds with the time that the threatening e-mail was sent.

According to the affidavit, an employee at the store positively identified Siringi as the person in the surveillance video and a photo lineup. The affidavit states the employee said she has seen Siringi in the store several times

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Thursday, December 18, 2008 |

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