Benner Township Man Accused of ‘Swatting,’ Threatening Former Auto Parts Store Coworkers

Update: Centre County prosecutors dropped all charges against Leslie Scott on Oct. 18, 2022. Scott passed a polygraph and police are investigating other suspects.

Original story

A Benner Township man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges for allegedly threatening to kill his former coworkers at a College Township auto parts store and placing phone calls to provoke a police response to the business.

Leslie P. Scott, 40, was arrested on Monday after State College police said he placed more than 20 threatening phone calls between Sept. 13 and Oct. 5 to Advance Auto Parts, 497 Benner Pike, and Centre County 911. Police wrote that it became apparent that the store was being “swatted,” a form of harassment in which a caller prompts an emergency response under false pretenses.

The calls were often spoofed to appear as if they were coming from Advance Auto Parts phone number or someone else, police wrote in a criminal complaint. Scott, who had been fired from the business, allegedly placed bomb threats, stated he was going to kill store employees and claimed another employee had a gun and was trying to kill people.

During one call, he allegedly said “I’m outside. I’m going to kill all of them.”

On multiple occasions, additional threatening calls were placed while police were on the scene responding to the initial calls, including one in which he said “I’m going to blow them up if they don’t leave,” according to the complaint.

At least one call forced the business to close early.

Other store employees were cleared after interviews and polygraphs, according to the complaint.

Police wrote that Scott, who still frequented Advance Auto Parts as a customer, allegedly became aware that he was being investigated as a suspect and twice threatened to kill a store employee if he got in trouble.

Scott was charged with 15 third-degree felony counts of criminal use of a communication facility and 17 first-degree misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats.

He was arraigned on Monday night by District Judge Donald Hahn and was unable to post $40,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19.