Man Facing Felony Charges After Making Bomb Threats and Demanding Money in St. Clairsville
ST. CLAIRSVILLE— The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office arrested Larry Allen Harvey,18, after he made bomb threats and demanded money from multiple businesses in the St. Clairsville and Richland Township area of the Ohio Valley Plaza.
Belmont County law enforcement responded to a series of threats on March 24, resulting in “a large-scale, coordinated public safety response and the subsequent arrest of an 18-year-old suspect,” according to authorities.
Larry Allen Harvey. Photo Provided from Belmont County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers from the Richland Township Police Department, along with deputies from the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and Cumberland Trail Fire Department, were dispatched to Walmart at 50739 Valley Plaza Drive at approximately 1:30 p.m. after a bomb threat was reported.
An unknown caller told store personnel they had “10 minutes to evacuate” due to a bomb inside the building. Authorities evacuated employees and patrons while bomb detection K9 units from the Wheeling Police Department conducted a search. No explosives were found.
Seven more businesses, including Sheetz, Kroger, Whitesides, Unified Bank, West Texas Roadhouse, Denny’s and the Red Roof Inn received threats later that afternoon. In several instances, the caller demanded money and threatened to detonate explosives if the demands were not met.
“These incidents prompted further evacuations and coordinated responses by law enforcement and fire personnel,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
One individual was struck by a vehicle during the Kroger evacuation. Their condition has not been released.
The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit, working with the Ohio State Highway Patrol Intelligence Fusion Center and cellular service providers, identified Harvey as the suspect. Investigators determined that multiple threats originated from the same phone number. Harvey was located at a St. Clairsville hotel.
During questioning, Harvey admitted to placing multiple calls to local businesses, making bomb threats and demanding money. He said he did it “for fun” and monitored law enforcement responses using a police scanner.
Harvey was transported to the Belmont County Jail and booked on five counts of making terroristic threats (felony 1) and five counts of inducing panic (felony 3). The case has been submitted to the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office for review of formal charges. Harvey’s bond is set at $1 million.
“This is what happened in Belmont County: five counts of terroristic threats, five counts of inducing panic, all felony charges, and a million-dollar bond. That’s it,” Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack said.
Harvey’s arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday before Judge David Trouten.
The investigation involved the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, Richland Township Police Department, St. Clairsville Police Department, Cumberland Trail Fire District, Wheeling Police Department K9 Units and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Zusack thanked the agencies’ efforts, stating they “did a fantastic job at putting this to an end.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
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