Former county employee charged with making bomb threats
5/9/2019
A former Hennepin County employee was charged with making terroristic threats for phoning in a bomb threat to the county public works building in Medina, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Thursday.
Anthony Romano, 65, of Minneapolis was charged with one count of terroristic threats-reckless disregard and one count of terroristic threats-explosives/incendiary device. He is expected to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon. The county attorney’s office is seeking bail of $30,000.
According to the criminal complaint, Romano called the county’s Central Mobile Equipment Division about 10 a.m. Tuesday. The woman who answered recognized Romano’s voice from the years she had worked with him. He asked to talk to the human resources manager, but the woman told Romano the manager wasn’t available.
Romano then told her to get out of the building because there was a bomb. Romano also said he and his girlfriend, who had worked in that department until recently, were going to file a lawsuit against Hennepin County, the complaint states.
Romano hung up, but called back a short time later and the same woman answered the phone. This time, he said there were bombs attached to the fleet of trucks outside the building, according to the complaint. The woman reported the threat to her manager.
After investigating, Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies went to Romano’s house and arrested him that day. He admitted he called the division, but denied making any threats.
Romano Criminal Complaint (PDF)