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Independence Hall bomb threats lead to arrest
Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 1/27/2006 | John Shiffman

Posted on 01/27/2006 6:54:36 PM PST by wjersey

A horse carriage driver who worked near the Liberty Bell was charged today with phoning 28 bomb threats against Independence Hall.

Michael Mancuso of Philadelphia was charged in federal court with calling the Philadelphia Police Department's 911 emergency line several times a month between Aug. 5 and Wednesday.

In virtually every call, authorities said that Mancuso told the 911 operator, "There is a bomb at Independence Hall."

In an affidavit, U.S. Park Ranger John W. Hopf said that police had traced the calls to pay phones near the park, including a phone near the corner of Sixth and Chestnut Streets. Other calls were made from a pre-paid Cingular cell phone, which couldn't be traced, Hopf said.

The break came Wednesday, Hopf said, when a contract guard employed by the park who was watching the phone saw Mancuso use it. Another guard followed Mancuso into the Bourse building and called the park rangers, officials said.

After the rangers arrested Mancuso, he "admitted that he made the 911 call reporting a bombing threat at the park... and made numerous other bomb threat calls to 911."

Mancuso is expected to appear in magistrate court next month, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bernadette McKeon.

McKeon said she did not know the rationale for the alleged bomb threats.

Mancuso could not be reached for comment, and officials said a defense attorney has yet to take the case.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: bombthreat; domesticterrorism; independencehall; mancuso; philadelphia

1 posted on 01/27/2006 6:54:38 PM PST by wjersey
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To: wjersey; Cagey; MotleyGirl70
A horse carriage driver who worked near the Liberty Bell was charged today with phoning 28 bomb threats against Independence Hall.

Plus, he threatened to feed his horse Beef-a-Reeno.

2 posted on 01/27/2006 7:12:05 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: wjersey
Philadelphia would seem an unlikely target to some but considering the historical significance of the city I would suggest they should take threats as serious as DC and NYC.
3 posted on 01/27/2006 7:48:40 PM PST by DogBarkTree (The higher the monkey climbs the flag pole, the more people can see his @$$h0!e)
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To: wjersey

Give him a sign properly identifying him and his crime and bring him to a bar some Saturday night where the Roofers Union rank-and-file have become well-lubricated. They'll give him a good talking to, heh heh.


4 posted on 01/27/2006 7:52:41 PM PST by jiggyboy (Ten percent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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