Employee of the Year Uses Dozens of Bomb Threats to Get out of Work
A Seattle man has been arrested for conducting a campaign of bomb threats against himself and the financial services company where he worked, in what appears to be an elaborate attempt to get extra days off.
James Bea allegedly sent anonymous text messages to his coworkers at Jack Henry and Associates, referencing personal details and ordering them to evacuate the entire staff, lest he blow up the building with C4 explosives.
To throw victims and investigators off the trail, he made sure to target himself with the messages, texting threats to his own phone and making sure to mention "Nigger James" in his threats to other employees. He even used the 2013 shooting death of his brother as fodder to make his fake warnings to himself more convincing.
"The defendant orchestrated a sophisticated, calculated scheme that delivered waves of terror for weeks, permeating a multi-state company and leaving many people fearful to come to work," wrote King County deputy prosecutor Ian D. Ith.
It appears Bea's motive for the entire alleged plot was getting out of work. Messages sent to Bea on April 15 and April 22 warned him not to show up. He took the 15th off, and on the 22nd, responded "You are not going to stop me from working and performing. Fuck off."
Who would suspect such a dedicated employee?
It doesn't stop there, though. Bea also stands accused of using his position at Jack Henry to steal credit card numbers and charge thousands of dollars in purchases. Right now, Bea is only charged with two counts of making bomb threats, but prosecutors say that's just "the tip of an iceberg" of possible felony charges they could add.
Bea is in jail on $100,000 bail.
