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Queens Crank Caller Charged With Making Terrorist Threats, DA Says

By Alexandra Talty | March 25, 2016 4:37pm | Updated on March 28, 2016 8:31am
 Kenneth Campbell, 47, was charged Thursday with making more than 30 false alarm calls including bomb scares and gas leaks, according to court documents.
Kenneth Campbell, 47, was charged Thursday with making more than 30 false alarm calls including bomb scares and gas leaks, according to court documents.
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QUEENS —  A man arrested for placing more than 30 fake 911 calls in a month has been charged with making a terrorist threat as well as multiple counts of falsely reporting an incident, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office

Kenneth E. Campbell, 47, was arrested by fire marshals Wednesday for placing false emergency calls, including reporting having a bomb strapped to his body, and harassing neighbors.

“The false calls could have also put lives at risk by preventing firefighters and other rescuers from responding to real emergencies," said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown in a statement released Friday. 

During a nearly 30-day period between February and March, Campbell called 911 more than 30 times requesting assistance to his building at 82-24 135th St. in Kew Gardens, where he has lived for more than 15 years, according to court documents. 

On March 9, Campbell made a series of 911 calls reporting bombs on the roof of his building as well as threatening to throw bombs onto responding police officers and the fire chief, according to his criminal complaint. He also told the 911 operator there was an explosive device strapped to his body. 

Prosecutors also said Campbell reported various emergencies, including a pregnant woman going into labor and elderly people falling and injuring themselves. 

Although he changed his voice and made the calls anonymously through pay phones and various cellphones without SIM Cards, Campbell gave a 911 operator on a March 1 his real phone number, court documents said. The DA would not confirm whether this was how fire marshals connected him to the false reports. 

After his arrest Campbell admitted to authorities that he made all of the false 911 calls, saying “My uncle is verbally abusive to me and the sound of sirens calms him down,” according to court documents.

If convicted, Campbell could face up could face up to seven years in prison, prosecutors say. 

Campbell remains in custody on $20,000 bail and will appear in court on April 7.