A Skokie man accused of making fake bomb threats this year is facing additional charges after police identified him as a suspect in more threats, Evanston police said.
Jacob Spiro, 23, is now facing four more felony disorderly conduct charges for additional threats against the Evanston Public Library and an Evanston McDonald’s, police said. He turned himself in Nov. 17.
Police say emailed threats were made against two branches of the Evanston Public Library on Sept. 12 and 14. Both branches were evacuated and the buildings swept, though police found no evidence of bombs at either site.
Two other threats were made against a McDonald’s in the 1900 block of Dempster Street in Evanston on Oct. 2 and 3. In both cases police received calls saying there was a bomb at the fast food restaurant, according to police. Law enforcement swept the premises both times and found no evidence of any bombs.
Spiro was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct in October for making more than a dozen threats in Niles — where he allegedly made 11 separate threats on the town’s city service request website — as well as Glenview, Morton Grove, Skokie and Wilmette, according to several suburban police agencies.
He faces additional charges for disorderly conduct in Kane County, where he was accused of making similar threats toward Aurora Public Library buildings Sept. 12 and 14, which also prompted evacuations and searches — though no bomb was found at either location, Aurora police said.
Police said no additional charges were expected.
Chicago public library branches were briefly closed in September after digital threats were made against them as part of a rash of “nationwide bomb threats to libraries,” apparently part of an intimidation campaign over the choice of books offered on the libraries’ shelves.