LANSING, Mich. – A Michigan man is facing multiple felony charges after police said he threatened to kill a state representative and also made a false bomb threat.
Michael Varrone, 48, of Charlotte, was arrested on Thursday after he reported that there was a bomb at the Michigan Capitol Building on Thursday, according to officials.
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Officials said the threat was quickly determined to be false. Varrone was arrested outside his residence on Thursday afternoon without incident by the MSP Emergency Support Team and Fugitive Team.
Varrone is accused of calling a control operator at the Capitol complex early Thursday morning and said that everyone needed to evacuate because the building was going to explode. The employee reported the incident to the Michigan State Police.
By 9 a.m. on Thursday, officials determined that there was no real threat to the Capitol.
On Dec. 12, Varrone called the Michigan House of Representatives six times and on at least one occasion, threatened the life of Rep. Cynthia A. Johnson and her family, according to officials.
READ: Charlotte man arrested for making ‘false’ bomb threat at Michigan Capitol Building
Varrone was arraigned Friday before Magistrate Laura Millmore in 54-A District Court in Lansing on two counts of false report or threat of terrorism. He also faces one count of false report or threat of bomb/harmful device.
One count of the false report or threat of terrorism is connected to the phone call he is accused of making on Dec. 12.
The court set Varrone’s bond at $50,000 cash.
A probable cause conference is set for 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 22 and a preliminary exam is set for 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 28.
View the affidavit below: