A Marietta man suspected of calling in a series of February bomb threats to area hospitals and businesses was indicted Monday by a Washington County grand jury.
Michael P. Marshall, 33, of 100 Crestlyn Court, Marietta, is facing a six-count indictment that alleges inducing panic and making false alarms. He faces up to nine years in prison if convicted.
All of the calls were made from a deactivated cell phone, which can still be used to call 911, but makes tracing the calls more difficult.
Marshall was one of 12 people indicted in the June grand jury session.
The first threat came Feb. 15, when a man with a noticeable speech impediment phoned 911 and reported there was a bomb at Marietta Memorial Hospital. After a six-hour search, police determined the call was a hoax.
A day later, police and fire crews scrambled to reports of bombs at Selby General Hospital, Wal-Mart, Comfort Inn and Marietta College. All but one of the calls was made to the county's 911 system, and it appears they were all made by the same person. The threat to Comfort Inn was made directly to the business and may or may not be connected, officers said.
Washington County Prosecutor Jim Schneider said he believes Marshall was not involved in the Comfort Inn threat.
"We believe that was a copycat," Schneider said. "It didn't get much investigation. All of the other calls came in through the county's 911 system. That call came in through the Comfort Inn switchboard from a Comfort Inn phone. I think it was probably an employee joshing another employee."
Each of the charges against Marshall is a fourth-degree felony, and each punishable by up to 18 months in prison. Because of laws protecting schools and places of higher learning, had Marietta College been evacuated as a result of the threat, that charge would have been elevated to a second-degree felony, which is punishable by up to eight years in prison.
"If any building had been evacuated, it would have been charged that way," Schneider said. "But that was the fourth threat, and I think by then most people thought it was probably a hoax."
Marshall remains free pending a July 8 arraignment before Judge Ed Lane in Washington County Common Pleas Court.
Other indictments
Joanne Dye, 52, of 1308 Williamson Ave., New Matamoras, was charged with fifth-degree felony theft. Dye is accused of stealing $120 from her mother's purse on July 14, 2008.
Crystal D. Hoover, 27, of 186 Main St., Lowell, was charged with fifth-degree felony possession of drugs. Hoover is accused of selling eight prescription painkillers to a confidential informant on Jan. 21.
Deane A. Curtis, 47, last known address 220 Pennsylvania Ave. Apt. 1, Marietta, was charged with fourth-degree felony domestic violence. Curtis is accused of causing harm to a family or household member on May 21.
Mark A. Irvin, 39, of 1317 St. Marys Ave., Parkersburg, was charged with fourth-degree felony grand theft of a motor vehicle and fifth-degree felony theft. Irvin is accused of stealing a vehicle and property from a Belpre residence on Dec. 3.
Jeremy S. Montgomery, 21, of Davisville, W.Va., was charged with fifth-degree felony theft. Montgomery is accused of employee theft from Wal-Mart in Marietta.
Matthew Wiseman, 19, of 118 Bartlett St., Apt. A, Marietta, was charged with fourth-degree felony grand theft of a motor vehicle, first-degree misdemeanor aggravated menacing and first-degree misdemeanor telecommunications harassment. Wiseman is accused of stealing a vehicle June 2 and later making threats to the owner of that vehicle.
Brian M. Taylor, 21, of 102 Flintwood Drive, Marietta, was charged with fifth-degree felony trafficking in cocaine and third-degree felony trafficking in cocaine. Taylor is accused of selling drugs to confidential informants on Feb. 25 and Feb. 28, 2008.
Jarrod M. Bauerbach, 29, last known address of 211 Allbright Road, Beverly, was charged with fourth-degree felony trafficking in cocaine and second-degree felony trafficking in cocaine. Bauerbach is accused of selling drugs to a confidential informant on March 26, 2008, while in the vicinity of a juvenile.
Chance Grayson, 26, of 213 Franklin St., Marietta, was charged with third-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault and fourth-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault. Grayson is accused of causing an injury crash on March 21 while drunk and speeding.
Nathaniel Landen, 24, of 710 Florence St., Belpre, was charged with two counts of fifth-degree felony theft. Landen, a volunteer firefighter, is accused of the unauthorized use of credit cards owned by Belpre Volunteer Fire Department and Life Ambulance Services Inc., totaling approximately $3,000 in charges between Sept. 1, 2008 and Nov. 30, 2008.
