Man Faces Five Years In Prison Over Alleged Disney Cruise Line Bomb Threat

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A 20-year-old man from Chicago is facing up to five years in federal prison for an alleged 90-second phone call to Disney Cruise Line.

According to prosecutors, he told them he had a bomb on one of their ships.

He didn’t. There was no bomb. No danger. No actual threat to anyone.

And he’s looking at five years.

What The Prosecution Says Happened

Daquan Lamont Smith has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Orlando on one count of interstate transmission of a threat. That single count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on September 9th, 2026.

The call was allegedly made from Smith’s mobile phone on December 6, 2025. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the recorded call included this:

“I’m on the cruise boat coming from Bahamas that left two days ago, and I’m letting you guys know now I have a bomb on the boat and I want to blow it up.”

The Justice Department didn’t name the cruise line in its announcement, but the paperwork did it for them. Smith’s conditions of release specifically bar him from contact with anyone connected to Disney Cruise Line, this being a strong indication that DCL was the target of the threat.

Smith is presumed innocent.

Nothing’s been proven in court yet. But that recording exists, and it’s now sitting in a federal case file.

These Cases Result In Actual Prison Time

In 2024, someone made a fabricated bomb threat against the Carnival Sunrise. No bomb. No explosives.

That person pleaded guilty and received eight months in federal prison.

Not a fine. Not probation. Eight months in prison for a bomb threat against a cruise ship.

Law enforcement treats every threat as legitimate until proven otherwise. When someone phones in a bomb threat, security protocols must be activated, personnel must be deployed, and passengers must be protected—regardless of whether the threat turns out to be real.

The Defence Strategy

Smith’s legal team is fighting on two fronts.

First, jurisdiction. Smith was in Chicago when the call was made. He was arrested in Illinois in July and released on bond. His attorney wants the Orlando case dismissed so it can proceed in Illinois instead.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office initially investigated, then told the FBI in February it couldn’t prosecute because the conduct fell outside its jurisdiction.

Second, allegedly the defence wants Smith’s FBI interview suppressed. They’re arguing it wasn’t recorded and that agents didn’t read him his Miranda rights.

Next hearing is October 13th.

According to court filings, Smith claims he’d been getting spam calls and rang back in frustration with no intention to harm anyone. His attorney is allegedly attempting to have that statement excluded from evidence.

Disney Cruise Line hasn’t commented.

Why Intent Doesn’t Matter

The person receiving a bomb threat has no way of determining whether it’s genuine. They cannot ring back to clarify. They must treat it as real and escalate immediately.

Security must be mobilized. Protocols must be activated. Passengers and crew must be accounted for. All of that requires time, resources, and personnel.

That’s why these cases are prosecuted federally. That’s why the potential sentences are measured in years rather than months.

What This Case Demonstrates

Whether Smith is convicted or acquitted, the case illustrates how federal authorities handle bomb threats.

There are no warnings. There are no opportunities to explain intent after the fact.

The response is arrest, federal charges, and prosecution. The maximum penalty for interstate transmission of a threat is five years in prison.

That applies to threats against cruise lines, airlines, schools, government buildings, and any other target. The federal government’s approach is consistent: hoax or not, you will be prosecuted.