Bomb threat made on Crawford courthouse by man skipping court date, police allege

MEADVILLE — A city man who was scheduled to appear in Crawford County court on Monday is accused of phoning in a bomb threat instead, leading to the building's evacuation and a new set of criminal charges that he is facing.

Douglas S. McClure, 40, of Meadville, was arraigned late Tuesday morning by Meadville District Judge Samuel Pendolino on third-degree felony counts of bomb threats, terroristic threats and criminal use of a communication facility in the incident, which happened at the Crawford County Judicial Center on East Center Street, off Diamond Park in Meadville, on Monday morning.

Meadville police accuse McClure of calling the judicial center, reporting that a bomb was in the building, and stating, "It's going to blow the (expletive) up," according to information in McClure's criminal complaint. The building was evacuated for over 1 1/2 hours after the call was received, according to police.

The call was received shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, Crawford County Sheriff Dave Powers said Tuesday. The call of the criminal trial list was scheduled in the judicial center on Monday morning, and more than 100 people were in the building for it, he said.

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McClure was among those scheduled to be in court Monday, but he did not show up, Powers said. According to Crawford County court records, McClure is facing trial on drug charges in an incident investigated by Meadville police in April 2023. The case is scheduled for the May trial term in Crawford County, officials said.

Court house searched twice a day

Powers said the Crawford County Sheriff's Office searches the judicial center each morning and after the building closes each afternoon. They searched the building before the start of business on Monday morning, and searched it again after the bomb threat was called in.

No bombs were found.

McClure was placed in the Crawford County Correctional Facility Tuesday after Pendolino set bond at $50,000. He is tentatively scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on May 14, according to court records.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com . Follow him on X @ETNhahn

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Bomb threat made on Crawford courthouse by man skipping court date, police allege