QUEENS---A 17-year-old student at Middle College High School in Long Island City has been arraigned on charges of writing a threatening letter that warned students and faculty that those attending the senior prom would share a fate similar to that which occurred at Virginia Tech earlier this month.

Michael DiGiovanni, 17, of 71-42 69th Place in Glendale, Queens, a senior at Middle College High School, was arraigned Wednesday morning before Queens Criminal Court Judge Ira Margulis on charges of first- and third-degree falsely reporting an incident and second-degree aggravated harassment. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison. He was released without bail and ordered to return to court on May 9.

"Whether intended as a joke or not, the writing of such a letter must always be taken seriously by law enforcement personnel", Queens district attorney Richard A. Brown said. "The American landscape is filled with too many sad reminders of student shootings that to do otherwise would be a dereliction of duty and a betrayal to the memory of those who lost their lives in similar situations."

Brown said that, according to the charges, a Middle College High School teacher walked into a classroom on Monday, April 23 and found several copies of a note - that had been printed using a school computer - which stated, "So you think Virginia Tech was bad? Just wait for the MCHS Prom! Unlike VTech there won't be any injured, I'll get the job done."

Authorities said DiGiovanni allegedly admitted to writing the threatening letter on April 19, comparing the future of his school to the Virginia Tech shooting, and claimed the letter was written as a joke.

He was arrested Tuesday by detectives assigned to the NYPD's 108th Precinct at Middle College High School, which is located on the campus of LaGuardia Community College. 4-25-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette