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Pa. man charged with terrorism for Orlando-scale threats, cops say
Print Email Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com
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on June 17, 2016 at 2:42 PM, updated June 17, 2016 at 3:23 PM
A Pennsylvania man wanted for allegedly harassing a Northampton County judge was arrested this week after threatening violence that he said would eclipse the toll in Sunday's massacre inside an Orlando nightclub, federal authorities said.
John R. Large
John R. Large (Courtesy Vermont State Police via WFMZ-TV 69 | For lehighvalleylive.com)
John Robert Large, 51, of Lansford in Carbon County, made the threat in a call to Pennsylvania State Police on Monday, the day after 49 people were shot to death in Florida, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
He allegedly made threats in the call to police "as well as making a statement that he had something planned for months that would make the recent Orlando shooting look small," a news release from the marshals service states.
The service's Middle District of Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force began working with Pennsylvania State Police, and the investigation determined Large was in Washington, Vermont.
"Vermont State Police Tactical Support Unit and the Crisis Negotiations Unit were utilized to remove the owners of the residence without incident," the state police there said in a news release. "Large was later taken into custody after he exited the residence."
Large was brought before a judge Wednesday in Vermont's Orange County and ordered held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vermont. He faces a status conference scheduled July 13.
Large had to be removed from the courtroom in Vermont after threatening the presiding judge and causing a scene, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
He is an engineer, we have no idea what the hell he is capable of doing."
Large had been wanted on harassment charges for incidents last Oct. 27 in South Whitehall Township and Oct. 31 in Bethlehem, before threatening to "declare war" on the Pennsylvania judicial system — beginning with Northampton County Common Pleas Court Judge Emil Giordano, court records say.
Authorities apprised Giordano of Large's arrest this week, said Jermaine Greene, associate court administrator for Northampton County.
Giordano had dismissed a harassment charge against Large in November 2012. Large then allegedly called Giordano twice at home about 1 a.m. last Dec. 21, demanding the judge resolve Large's court issues so he could see his children by Christmas, court records say. In addition to threatening war on the judiciary, Large used profanity in ordering Giordano to "fix this."
Large referenced to Giordano having met him outside the office of Carbon County Judge John Braxton, according to court records. Giordano later Dec. 21 called Braxton, who said Large had been harassing both him and a Lehigh County judge via telephone, records say.
Colonial Regional police who serve Hanover Township, Northampton County, where Giordano lives, identified Large as the caller via telephone records.
Large remained on the loose until his arrest Wednesday, at the 185 Turnpike Road home in Washington, Vermont.
Pennsylvania State Police pinged Large's cellphone, zeroing in on his location, according to a news release.
Large had called state police at Lehighton about 1 p.m. Monday and spoke with crime unit supervisor Cpl. William Gross about an incident with Large's ex-wife that had occurred over the weekend, the release states.
49 candles lit in Bethlehem church for Orlando victims
49 candles lit in Bethlehem church for Orlando victims
A message of hope and inclusion rang out during the service at Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley.
"Large became increasingly agitated, yelling obscenities and threatening the safety of all of the personnel at the PSP/Lehighton station," Trooper Shaun Flynn wrote in the release.
Large hung up and called back about 7:49 p.m., according to Flynn: "He spoke to Cpl. Shawn Noonan requesting 'who he spoke to earlier in the day and wanted to do recon on that trooper and that trooper has no idea who he is dealing with.'"
He called back a third time, about 8:25 p.m., and told Noonan "he knows that there are multiple active warrants for him and that he wasn't going back to jail and he has been preparing this for six months. He also stated not to bother putting more troopers on the road to look for him this weekend because this is all going down this weekend and we will have no idea where he is coming from."
After the threat referencing Orlando, Large "related that he is an engineer, we have no idea what the hell he is capable of doing," Flynn wrote.
In addition to charges filed by Colonial Regional, Bethlehem and South Whitehall Township police, Large was wanted on warrants out of the Carbon County Sheriff's Office and Carbon County Probation, according to the Marshals Service.
"The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force places a high priority on fugitive cases in which the use or threat of violence against innocent victims occurs. Fugitives like Large deserve their day in court and he will be given that opportunity," U.S. Marshal Martin J. Pane said in a statement.
Large faces charges of threatening unlawful harm to influence and harassment in the Colonial Regional case; terroristic threats and harassment in the Bethlehem case; and five counts of terroristic threats, stalking and harassment in the South Whitehall case.
Pennsylvania State Police at Lehighton this week filed additional charges of terrorism, terroristic threats and harassment for an offense dated Monday and, for an offense dated Sunday, terroristic threats, harassment, hunting without a license, fishing with a license and a violation related to permits for protection of fish, court records say.
Large will be extradited to Pennsylvania once a governor's warrant is executed, Trooper David Peters said.
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