Man Charged in Macomb County Courthouse Bomb Scare

A 42-year-old man was charged Wednesday with reporting a threat of a bomb or a harmful device after police said he phoned in a fake bomb threat to the Macomb County Courthouse Tuesday morning. Bond was set at $75,000.

Carl Eugene Rickert of Harrison Township was also charged as a habitual offender. He was arraigned on the charges at the 41-B District Court.

If found guilty, Rickert could spend up to four years in prison and pay a $2,000 fine to the government for the cost of responding to a false report.

Police said Rickert called the Macomb County Circuit Court on 40 N. Main Street Tuesday morning and said, “Bomb in the building,” and, “get out.”

The courthouse was immediately evacuated while the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and bomb-sniffing dogs searched the building. Nothing suspicious was detected. However, the court’s operations were interrupted for the remainder of the day.

Rickert was arrested later in the day without incident.