NorCal Man Arrested After Threatening To Bomb Casino: Deputies

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA — A South Lake Tahoe man has been arrested after threatening to bomb a casino in Nevada over losing thousands at the establishment, according to authorities.

It's unclear exactly how the man lost the money or whether he was actually ever at the casino. But he apparently called security at the Harrah's Casino in Stateline, Nevada, on Monday to tell them he had lost "over $20,000 at your stupid casino."

"I am going to destroy it now," the man said, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. "I am going to bomb it. This is a bomb threat."

Authorities identified the suspect who placed the threat as Seth Maybee, deputies said.

He was located at his South Lake Tahoe residence just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, and taken into custody in connection with the threat, deputies said. He is now facing charges in Nevada of making a bomb and terroristic threats, authorities said.

“Due to the history of the Harvey’s bombing in the early 1980s, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Stateline casinos take these threats very seriously," Sheriff Dan Coverley said in a statement. "Fortunately, we were able to make an arrest before anything happened."

Harvey's Resort and Casino in Stateline was bombed in the 1980s, leaving behind a five story-crater in the hotel, according to the FBI.

The creator of the bomb, John Birges Sr., had lost a substantial amount of money at the casino and demanded ransom money in exchange for directions on how to disconnect two of the bomb's three automatic timers, according to the FBI.

He never received the money and was later arrested, along with his two sons, who authorities identified as accomplices, according to the FBI.