09/21/06

                             STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE THREAT TO COURT

Today, 09/21/06, at approximately 8:35 a.m. the Manchester Police Department received a 911 telephone call in which the caller, who remained anonymous, reported that he overheard two men discussing plans to place explosives in the Manchester Courthouse GA #12.

This caller’s information was passed to the Connecticut State Police Troop-H.  State Troopers responded to the courthouse and with Judicial Marshals secured the facility prior to the scheduled court opening. State Police K-9 EOD teams responded and conducted a search of the entire facility.  No suspicious items were located during the search and the courthouse was opened at approximately 9:40 a.m.

Manchester Police located and secured the payphone where the threatening call was made. State Police Major Crime Detectives were assigned to respond to the courthouse and to the call location to initiate a criminal investigation into this incident.

A short time later, a second telephone threat was received at the courthouse at approximately shortly after 10:30 a.m. State Police Detectives working the investigation developed leads and information from both of the telephone threats.

The pay phones where both threatening calls originated from provided investigators with evidence and information that lead to the identity of a suspect in this case. State Police Detectives determined that the suspect in this investigation had been slated to appear today in Manchester Superior Court for sentencing.  

At approximately 3:00 p.m., State Police Detectives located the suspect in the courthouse and he was placed under arrest.   

ACCUSED:     SPERA, Michael  J.    DOB: 4/29/66

                   175 Woodbridge St.

                   Manchester, CT

CHARGES:     Threatening 1^st   (2 cts)

                   Falsely Reporting An Incident 1st  (2 cts)

                   Harassment 1^st  (2 cts)

                   Act of Terrorism  (2 cts)

The accused was held on $500,000 bond and will appear in Superior Court for arraignment on 09/22/06

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M/Sgt. J. Paul Vance