Series of Bomb Threats Probed

Aug 30, 09:12 AM

Current Headlines: By Naomi R. Patton, Detroit Free Press

Aug. 30--The FBI is investigating whether a bomb threat phoned in to a western Michigan grocery store this week is connected to a nationwide scam targeting stores and banks elsewhere.

Employees at a Wal-Mart store in Newport, R.I., wired $10,000 to an unidentified male Tuesday morning after he called the business and threatened to blow it up, authorities said.

Similar calls were made to Wal-Mart stores in Salem and Pulaski County, Va., with no money changing hands.

Dawn Clenney, FBI spokeswoman in Detroit, said a bomb threat was telephoned Monday to Harding's Friendly Market in Buchanan in western Michigan.

No demand for money was made and the threat turned out to be a hoax, she said, but "we're treating this as a criminal matter."

Clenney said there have been no threats to other businesses in the state.

In Virginia, an employee at a bank branch inside the Salem Wal-Mart reported the caller said a bomb would be detonated unless money was sent through Western Union.

A bomb threat to a bank branch inside the Pulaski County Wal-Mart was made minutes later. In each Virginia case, the stores were evacuated and no bombs were found, authorities said.

Rich Kolko, an FBI spokesman, said the incident in Newport was similar to various plots targeting banks and stores near Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Philadelphia.

He said the bureau is investigating whether the calls were placed from overseas. The FBI also was compiling reports from police departments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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