Threats Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

USDA Closes 2 W.Va. Offices, 4 Others after Threats

Updated at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 30:

Six U. S. Department of Agriculture offices were closed Tuesday after receiving anonymous threats. Two of those six facilities are located in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department first got the news about the threats Monday afternoon. Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty says the threats were made through email, but did not release any more information about those threats. Dougherty did say it was clear that the person who sent the email intended to do bodily harm to personnel at the six USDA facilities.

One of the six is a fruit research center in Kearneysville, West Virginia, just outside of Shepherdstown. It’s down the street from both the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and a state police detachment.

“It’s probably as safe a facility from a law enforcement standpoint as any – if anything started, it would take us about 15 seconds to be there,” Dougherty said.

Employees at a USDA building in Leetown, just down the road, were also threatened Monday.

Both West Virginia facilities are part of the Agriculture Research Service. The FBI is investigating the credibility of the threats, and the buildings remain closed until further notice.

Original Post:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has closed six offices nationwide, including two in West Virginia, after receiving anonymous threats Monday.

USDA Director of Communications Matt Herrick said in a statement the offices in five states will be closed until further notice after concerns for the safety of agency personnel.

Those offices are located in Kearneysville and Leetown, West Virginia; Fort Collins, Colorado; Hamden, Connecticut; Beltsville, Maryland; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Herrick said the USDA is working closely with the Federal Bureau for Investigations and other federal and local law enforcement to determine whether the threats are credible.

The closures affect the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), Forest Service (FS), National Agricultural Library (NAL), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Office of the Inspector General, and USDA Departmental Management.

Two Teens Charged with Making Threats at West Virginia School

West Virginia State Police have charged two teenagers with making threats at a middle school.

State Police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous says in a news release that males ages 13 and 15 were charged in juvenile petitions with making terroristic threats, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder.

Baylous says the charges relate to recent incidents at Clay Middle School that he didn’t specify.

Clay County Schools Superintendent Kenneth Tanner ordered all county schools closed for three days earlier this month as a precaution.

On the county schools’ website, Tanner said State Police were notified April 27, a day after middle school administrators received a tip that a student had allegedly made comments about shooting multiple individuals at the school.

Baylous says additional juvenile petitions could be filed.

Man Accused of Threatening Manchin Found Competent for Trial

A federal judge has found a man competent to stand trial on charges of threatening to kill U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin.

Steven Anthony Major is accused of making at least eight threatening phone calls to Manchin’s offices in Washington, D.C., and Charleston earlier this year.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston found Major competent to stand trial on Monday. Johnston scheduled Major’s trial for Feb. 24.

W.Va. Man Accused of Threatening U.S. Senator

Federal prosecutors say a 49-year-old Barboursville man has been indicted on charges he threatened to kill U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin says Steven Anthony Major was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in Charleston. He is accused of making four separate threats to kill Manchin. The threats allegedly occurred from March 17 through March 20.

Major was arrested on March 21 after prosecutors said he made calls to the West Virginia Democrat’s Charleston and Washington, D.C., offices. The government says Major identified himself and also made violent threats against Manchin family members.

Major faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on each count.

A listing for Major could not be found in the Barboursville area and his public defender was not available on Tuesday.