A phone call that prompted the shut down of a Ford plant in Missouri and an investigation involving the FBI was allegedly made by a teenager who wanted his friend to get a night off work.
Police in Missouri arrested 19-year-old Zachariah Peterson in connection with the hoax call that prompted the evacuation of around 2,500 employees at the Claycomo Ford plant near Kansas City on Tuesday (July 18) evening. Multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI were involved in an ensuing investigation. On Wednesday (July 19) morning authorities determined that the threat was “not credible” and production resumed as normal.
Clay County sheriff Will Akin said at a news conference on Wednesday (July 19) that Peterson allegedly claimed to be a disgruntled employee who was barricaded inside a bathroom in the factory, armed with a pound of C-4 explosives, an AK-47, and a handgun.
Clay County prosecutor Zachary Thompson told the media that Peterson knew the call would prompt an evacuation: “He did that…so an acquaintance of his would not have to go to work,” he added. According to prosecutors, there is currently no indication Peterson’s friend was aware of or involved in the swatting hoax.
Peterson could face up to seven years in prison
Authorities said Peterson admitted to making the call and explained he used an app on his phone to disguise his identity. He said he knew about C-4 explosives from the video game Call of Duty.
According to Missouri law, Peterson committed a Class D felony and could be sentenced to as many as seven years in state prison, and be hit with a fine of up to $10,000.
Even though the call was fake, its impact was serious. “This hoax created a huge strain on law enforcement — not to mention the financial loss that Ford suffered from shutting down production,” sheriff Akin told the press.
The Claycomo Ford plant, which manufactures the E-Transit, Transit, and F-150, employs 7,250 people, according to the carmaker’s website.