Man Convicted of Threat to Campus

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (CN) - A Madison County jury convicted a former Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville student of threatening a murderous rampage. Olutosin Oduwole, 26, was convicted Tuesday of communicating a terrorist threat and illegal gun possession.

Police arrested Oduwole in July 2007 after finding the threat written on paper when towing his disabled car on campus.

The note allegedly threatened a murderous rampage on a college campus unless $50,000 was placed into a PayPal account.

Days earlier, Oduwole had been under police watch after ordering four handguns online. Oduwole was also charged with unlawfully possessing a loaded handgun in his campus apartment.

Oduwole's attorneys said he was an aspiring rapper and that the note in the car was not a threat, but rap lyrics. They claimed prosecutors failed to present any evidence the Oduwole intended to communicate a threat.

But prosecutors said Oduwole took several steps toward making the threat. They said he wrote the words, left the car unattended, had a loaded firearm in his campus apartment, ordered four guns and was anxious enough for delivery to alarm the seller, and established two PayPal accounts, one under a friend's name and one under a fictitious name. Prosecutors claimed Oduwole knew his car would be towed and the note would be found.

Oduwole faces 4 to 15 years in prison, but could be sentenced to probation. A sentencing date has not been set.

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