(Press release from Yancey Sheriff’s Department)
On Thursday, December 13th at 2:08 pm the Yancey County Sheriff Office received a call informing them of a Bomb Threat at a local business at the intersection of Charlie Brown Road and US Highway 19E West. Upon arrival at the business Chief Deputy Shane Hilliard had the business and adjacent businesses evacuated for the safety of all. Further information lead to an email the business had received containing the threat. Chief Deputy Hilliard then contacted the State Bureau of Investigations and requested support from their Bomb K9. A thorough search by the Bomb K9 and subsequent investigation did not turn up any bomb or threat at the business. During the search and investigation reports of similar bomb threats began to come in from surrounding Counties and multiple States.
The emails were all demanding ransom via the digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin in exchange for not detonating the alleged bombs. At least some of the emails specify the goal is strictly financial and explicitly deny any link to terrorism. The threats have been sent to businesses in states including but not limited to Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Florida, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut. “Locally we continue to monitor the national and state investigation for further information and guidance” stated Chief Deputy Hilliard.
