Two Lee County, Fla. Fleet Employees Charged in Bomb Hoax

FORT MYERS, FL – In Lee County, Fla., two employees of the County’s fleet shop were arrested on Oct. 12 for allegedly placing a briefcase at a County fueling station as a prank on Sept. 8, according to a news release from the Lee County Sheriff’s Department. The two men arrested are Randall Feinstein, 61, a fleet supervisor for the County, and William Prussman, 64, a County fleet superintendant.

The incident occurred at the Lee County Fleet Management facility in Fort Myers. The sheriff’s department reported that when officers arrived, they observed a briefcase leaning against a light pole directly between two gas pumps.  After speaking with the fleet shop superintendent, and in light of the increased security concerns of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, the officers decided to evacuate the facility and surrounding area. The Southwest Florida Regional Bomb Squad responded to investigate further. After several hours, they determined the briefcase did not contain explosive, biological, or chemical components.

The statement from the sheriff’s department said detectives with the Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit investigated what happened and found that two men, including the superintendent originally contacted at the scene, were responsible for placing the briefcase as a prank. The sheriff’s department said both had the opportunity to explain that the object wasn’t a threat but didn’t do so. In addition, the sheriff’s department’s statement said one of the senior government employees charged threatened staff with disciplinary measures if they reported their involvement in the incident to authorities.

Feinstein is charged with a single count of planting a hoax bomb and one count of obstruction of justice. Prussman is charged with a single count of planting a hoax bomb.