HOT SPRINGS, AR — A man who reportedly told deputies he called in a fake bomb threat because he was angry with the government was arrested Thursday.
According to Chief Ranger John Hughes, 54-year-old Jeffrey Jay Spahn was arrested by U.S. Park Rangers and charged with making a threat of false information to the government.
Hughes says Spahn is accused of calling 911 from another person’s cellphone Tuesday night, refusing to identify himself to the dispatcher, and threatened to “blow up the Hot Springs Mountain Tower if the government did not get its act together,” and made a similar call about 30 minutes later.
Spahn reportedly told the dispatcher he had placed explosives at the tower and sensors in the area.
Hot Springs Police and the Garland County Sheriff’s Office assisted the rangers with the investigation, in which they were able to track the call to an area near Spahn’s house, so they brought him in for questioning, according to Hughes.
When investigators confronted Spahn with the evidence that he had called in the phony bomb threat, he reportedly admitted to the crime.
Hughes says Spahn had told the rangers that he was angry with the government, particularly that he and veterans were being mistreated by them, and that he had been watching news reports of the government shutdown.
Spahn then told investigators that after consuming a large amount of alcohol, he decided to make what he thought would be an anonymous call threatening to blow up part of the park.
Hughes says the National Park Service will not tolerate persons calling in false alarms.
“This type of behavior needlessly causes officers to be placed in danger,” Hughes said in a news release.
According to Hughes, several agencies worked most of the night and through the early morning hours the next day in response to the false alarm.
Park Rangers say Spahn was taken to Federal Court in El Dorado, where a U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge has ordered him held without bond, pending future court proceedings.
According to Chief Ranger John Hughes, 54-year-old Jeffrey Jay Spahn was arrested by U.S. Park Rangers and charged with making a threat of false information to the government.
Hughes says Spahn is accused of calling 911 from another person’s cellphone Tuesday night, refusing to identify himself to the dispatcher, and threatened to “blow up the Hot Springs Mountain Tower if the government did not get its act together,” and made a similar call about 30 minutes later.
Spahn reportedly told the dispatcher he had placed explosives at the tower and sensors in the area.
Hot Springs Police and the Garland County Sheriff’s Office assisted the rangers with the investigation, in which they were able to track the call to an area near Spahn’s house, so they brought him in for questioning, according to Hughes.
When investigators confronted Spahn with the evidence that he had called in the phony bomb threat, he reportedly admitted to the crime.
Hughes says Spahn had told the rangers that he was angry with the government, particularly that he and veterans were being mistreated by them, and that he had been watching news reports of the government shutdown.
Spahn then told investigators that after consuming a large amount of alcohol, he decided to make what he thought would be an anonymous call threatening to blow up part of the park.
Hughes says the National Park Service will not tolerate persons calling in false alarms.
“This type of behavior needlessly causes officers to be placed in danger,” Hughes said in a news release.
According to Hughes, several agencies worked most of the night and through the early morning hours the next day in response to the false alarm.
Park Rangers say Spahn was taken to Federal Court in El Dorado, where a U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge has ordered him held without bond, pending future court proceedings.
