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Agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have arrested a Midlands man and charged him in connection with threats made against the life of a local sheriff.
Erik Joseph McBride, 44, of Lexington, S.C. was arrested and charged with the “manufacture, possession, use, aid or counsel of a bomb/ hoax device or replica.” McBride was also charged with threatening the life or family of a public official and unlawful communication.
According to probable cause affidavits accompanying the warrants for his arrest, on or about February 2, 2024 (last Friday) McBride “willfully and knowingly threatened to cause damage, injury, and/or death by means of a destructive device.” He also “knowingly and willfully deliver(ed) a threat of bodily injury or death in confrontation” toward Lexington County sheriff Jay Koon, according to the affidavits.
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The threat was “directly related to the victim’s professional responsibilities,” the affidavit added.
Within the email delivering the threat against sheriff Koon, McBride is alleged to have included “a viable formula for an improvised explosive device,” SLED agents noted.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, McBride is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as he may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges that may be filed against him.
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McBride was booked at the Lexington County detention center but was transferred to the Newberry County detention center shortly thereafter, according to the SLED release. As of this writing, no information is available regarding any bond amount being set in connection with the charges filed against him.
SLED investigated the allegations against McBride at the request of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD). His case will be prosecuted by the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson.
Stay tuned to our media outlet for relevant updates related to McBride’s case as it makes its way through the Palmetto State’s judicial system …
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RELEASE/ WARRANTS …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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