Man dodging his court date calls in bomb threat, NC cops say. The plan backfired

A man trying to avoid going to court “acted like a high schooler trying to get out of a final exam” when he fabricated a bomb threat to clear the building, according to investigators in Monroe, North Carolina.

The threat was received early Thursday, Feb. 26, and it succeeded in forcing the courthouse to be evacuated for most of the morning, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

It also succeeded in getting the man arrested, officials said.

“County Communications received a call from a male who falsely identified himself and claimed he was scheduled to appear in court. The caller stated he saw on Facebook that there was a bomb at the courthouse and said he did not feel safe going to court,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded with a bomb detection K-9 and assisted deputies in conducting a thorough search of the interior and exterior of the buildings. No devices or threats were located, and normal operations resumed.”

An investigation revealed a 20-year-old Monroe man was responsible for the false report, and he had a court appearance that day, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies also learned the man was likely to be arrested that day at the courthouse, due to a probation violation, officials said.

“Instead of taking responsibility (he) acted like a high schooler trying to get out of a final exam,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The Union County S.H.I.E.L.D. Unit located and arrested him without incident. He was transported to the Union County Detention Center and was charged with false bomb report, probation violation (out of county), and failure to appear,” the sheriff’s office said. “He is still currently housed at the Detention Center awaiting bond.”

Monroe is about a 25-mile drive southeast from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 6:51 AM with the headline "Man dodging his court date calls in bomb threat, NC cops say. The plan backfired."