Man Charged for Walmart Bomb Threat Has Bail Reduced

A Darby man accused of threatening to blow up the Walmart store in Willow Grove may be able to get out of jail more easily while the case advances through the court system. 

Kareem Michael Smith, 21, of Tyler Avenue in Darby, was arrested and charged in June with four counts of making bomb threats and four counts of making terroristic threats. In all, Smith is facing four felony counts for the alleged calls placed to Walmart, according to court documents.

The store, which is located at 2101 Blair Mill Road in Willow Grove, had been evacuated shortly before police arrived on June 24 at 10:44 a.m. Prior to the arrival of police, two calls–said to have come from Smith’s T-Mobile cell phone–had been placed to the store advising of a bomb.

During a stipulated hearing before Hatboro District Judge Paul Leo on Wednesday, both sides agreed for a bail reduction of $5,000 cash bail from the previously set $100,000 bail.

As a condition of his potential release on parole, Smith would be required to be in an in-patient mental health facility. The facility would need to notify the DA’s office if Smith were to be released.

A stipulated hearing means that the defendant does not question the information in the criminal complaint, according to Leo. 

According to records, in the first call, the caller, whose number showed up as private, said, “I’m advising you to leave the building. There has been a bomb placed in there,” according to court documents.

The man then called the store again nine minutes later, according to police. This time, he said, “I’m going to blow your store up,” according to court documents.

A Walmart store manager “visually swept” the building in the hour after the calls were received before reopening, according to court records. 

Soon after, police were called back to the store at 12:35 p.m. for two additional bomb threats, according to police.

This time, the caller allegedly used profanity in delivering the threats. “I told you not to call the cops. Now I’m really going to blow this (building) up,” he said, according to court documents.

Upper Moreland Police obtained a log of incoming calls from Verizon and noticed that the same number was used when three of the threats were received, according to police.

In two separate instances, Upper Moreland Police called the cell phone number traced to Smith and spoke to him about his alleged involvement in the bomb threats. Police said Smith hung up on officers in both instances. 

Police determined that the phone number traces back to T-Mobile and asked the company for information on all calls made over a 48-hour period, as well as who owns the phone. The log showed the calls made to Walmart and that the calls were preceded with *67 so the number would show up as private, police said.

The phone was then tracked to 222 meters of Tyler Avenue in Darby. Upper Moreland Police coordinated with Darby police in finding Smith.

His formal arraignment in Montgomery County Court is set for Aug. 28.