DETROIT – Two Detroit men are facing federal charges Wednesday because one allegedly paid his friend to call in a bomb threat to get out of work.
The charges stem from a bomb threat called into Precision Material Handling Equipment in Inkster.
Reginald Jenkins allegedly asked his friend Demitrius Kelly to call in bomb and shooting threats because he hoped they would result in early dismissal from work, officials said.
According to the criminal complaint, Jenkins offered Kelly $40 to call in a bomb threat on Monday.
While officers were sweeping the building with K-9 units, another threat came in and the caller said shots would be fired if the building wasn't evacuated in the next 15 minutes.
Then, during a third call, the caller said he was in the parking lot and wanted $4,000 or the building would be shot up, officials said.
Federal officials tracked the calls because the phone number showed up on caller ID. The phone had been purchased at a Metro/T-Mobile store by Kelly's girlfriend.
The complaint says Kelly's girlfriend bought him the phone. When investigators questioned him, he confessed that Jenkins had paid him $40 to make the threats.
Federal officials want to charge Kelly with transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce and Jenkins with aiding and abetting.