Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said that a Queens man was arraigned on a grand jury indictment today after making phone calls threatening to blow up New York City and Nassau County police precincts.
Richard Bolton, 30, of Queens Village, was arraigned before Nassau County Court Judge Philip Grella on charges of Making a Terroristic Threat (a D violent felony) and Aggravated Harassment in the 2nd Degree (an A misdemeanor). Bolton faces a maximum of seven years in prison on the top charge and is due back in court on Dec. 9.
“Terror threats are taken very seriously and divert critical law enforcement and first responders from other responsibilities,” DA Rice said. “They threaten public safety and waste taxpayer dollars. Scenarios like this can have tragic consequences and the indictment reflects the seriousness of this defendant’s actions.”
Police and investigators said that on June 27, Bolton dialed 911, which was answered by the Nassau County Communications 911 desk, and said that he was in the vicinity of 165th Street in Jamaica, Queens, strapped with a bomb, and was going to blow up a New York City police precinct before coming to Nassau County to blow up more precincts. Nassau police arrested Bolton later that day in Queens.
Assistant District Attorney Rachael Whalen of DA Rice’s County Court Trial Bureau is prosecuting the case. Bolton is represented by Brian Epstein, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.