Man Arrested In Montco GOP Office Bomb Threat: DA

WHITPAIN TOWNSHIP, PA — A man has been arrested for the threats he made against the Montgomery County Republican Committee over the weekend that shut the office down and drew a large law enforcement response from county and state officials.

The incident occurred at around 11:18 a.m. at the offices on Penllyn Blue Bell Pike in Whitpain Township.

Related: Investigation Ongoing As Threats Of Political Violence Mount In Montco

Edward Cieri Jr., 39, of Philadelphia, called the office and began calling a staffer there names, officials said. The staffer responded by mocking Cieri, who then said that he would "shoot the place up" or "blow it up," according to the DA's office.

The phone call was then traced back to Cieri.

“This defendant crossed the line into criminal behavior when he threatened to physically harm a political staffer and threatened violence against a political office,” DA Kevin Steele said in a statement. “That criminal behavior will not be tolerated in Montgomery County. We are committed to a fair, safe, and free election, and all of Montgomery County law enforcement is committed to acting swiftly to investigate any threat of violence related to this election and arrest the individuals involved.”

Cieri was charged with threatening to place weapons of mass destruction, terroristic threats, and harassment. He was released on $35,000 bail with the condition that stay away from all Republican Committee offices as well as not possess any firearms.

A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 14.