Police have provided an update on the bomb threat at the public safety building in Geneva.
On Tuesday around 10:50 a.m. the City of Geneva Police Department and Geneva City Court received two packages from the U.S. Postal Service.
As protocol, court security screened the packages for any hazardous and/or dangerous materials. During this screening, court security observed what appeared to be an explosive device. Preliminary viewing of the x-ray machine showed one package containing several bottles filled with liquid and a “pineapple” style grenade. The other package contained what appeared to be miscellaneous items.
Immediately upon viewing the packages, which were sent by the same person, the Public Safety Building and all surrounding businesses and residences were notified of the threat.
The Geneva Police and the Fire Departments immediately cordoned off the area, and the Monroe County Bomb Squad was notified. Following the notification of the Bomb Squad, the U.S. Postal Inspection Services and the Geneva Police Department learned that a suspect mailed the two packages from the Geneva Post Office on Monday, October 3rd, which were to be sent to the Public Safety Building. The Monroe County Bomb Squad learned that the explosive device was an inert grenade, which was not capable of producing an explosion. Further investigation revealed that there were no dangerous material within the two packages.
An investigation revealed that Melvin Francis Lackey, age 57, of Geneva, was the person who mailed the packages. A search warrant was subsequently executed at his residence in the Town of Geneva by members of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office and the Geneva Police Department. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Lackey was charged with Placing a False Bomb, a Class D Felony, and transported to the Ontario County Jail for arraignment.
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