With the help of the FBI, local police launched an investigation last month to track down the perpetrator of seven bomb threats called into the North Atherton Street Walmart.
Not only did the investigation lead outside of Pennsylvania, but it went across the border into Canada, where the FBI determined the calls were originating from.
Andrew Wells-Scott, 20 of Ontario, was arrested and charged with four counts of conveying a false message in his home country after a joint investigation that included Patton Township Police, the FBI, and Ontario Provincial police, according to a press release.
“The calls were received at the WalMart between September 24 and October 23, 2015,” the release from Patton Township police said. “As a result, the store was evacuated numerous times, causing serious public inconvenience and terror. A significant amount of manpower was used during each of the phoned-in threats.”
Police and fire responders were dispatched to the superstore for the threats, lining the parking lot to keep it blocked off and scouring the store with K-9 unit dogs from Penn State University. The Walmart was closed for over an hour on multiple occasions due to the threats.
“The Patton Township Police Department worked tirelessly with law enforcement partners to resolve this case,” chief John Petrick said. “[We] take incidents of this nature very seriously and will use available resources to investigate.”
Wells-Scott had a bail hearing yesterday in the Peterborough Provincial Court, although it isn’t clear through searching court records if he was released.
