Charges were filed Monday against a Tornado man for allegedly calling in a threat to WorkForce West Virginia after he was denied unemployment benefits.
Capitol police charged Joseph William Estep, 42, with threatening to commit a terroristic act, according to a news release from Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety spokesman Lawrence Messina. Messina cited a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha Magistrate Court.
Estep allegedly told an employee he would "blow up the office" after being informed during a Dec. 14 telephone call that he wouldn't receive any money from his unemployment claim.
Cpl. Scott Duff interviewed Estep on Friday at the South Central Regional Jail, where he admitted to threatening the state employee, according to the release. Estep already was being held on a domestic violence related charge.
"We take threats against state employees and offices very seriously, and such threats cannot be tolerated," said Director Kevin Foreman of the Division of Protective Services.