Patrick L. Copus, age 36 of St. Francis, Wisconsin was taken into custody by Fayette County Sheriff's Deputies this week.
The investigation of a bomb threat called into the Flying J Travel Center on September 11th, 2012 has concluded with the arrest of a St. Francis, Wisconsin man, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies allege that Patrick L. Copus, age 36 of St. Francis, Wisconsin was the person responsible for contacting the Flying J Travel Center on that early September morning, advising staff members that a bomb was located in the bathroom of the establishment, according to Fayette County Sheriff Vernon Stanforth.
Following the report, Stanforth and his deputies, along with members of the Jefferson Twp Fire Department and Fayette County E.M.S. responded to the scene, closing and evacuating the business while the allegation was investigated.
“A search of the business, including a bomb sniffing K-9 unit from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, turned up nothing”, said Stanforth.
The threat was called into the business the morning of September 11th, 2012 at 3:36 a.m., with the business re-opening around 6:00 a.m.
Upon completion of the investigation, the case was forwarded to the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office and presented to a Fayette County Grand Jury.
Copus was indicted on one count of Inducing Panic, a felony of the fourth degree. An arrest warrant was issued for Copus and he was later taken into custody and incarcerated at the Sauk County, Wisconsin jail.
Deputies traveled to Wisconsin this week, returning Copus to the State of Ohio earlier today to answer to the charge. Copus is currently incarcerated in the Fayette County Jail. Copus will answer to the charge in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas.
