Man threatens Carbon attorney, captured by Vermont state police
A former Lansford man with a history of threatening people is in custody in another state after calling in a bomb threat to both the home and office of a Carbon County attorney.
John R. Large, 51, is accused of calling in a bomb threat to both the home and office of Palmerton attorney Gerald Strubinger Jr.Palmerton Borough police Chief Randy Smith said that at 4:35 p.m. Tuesday, a bomb threat was called into Strubinger Law Office by Large.Smith said the building was evacuated, searched, and an explosive-detecting dog from South Whitehall Township was called and did a search of the building. No bomb was found, he said.In addition, Strubinger’s home was also threatened.On Tuesday, Vermont State Police were notified that Large was possibly in the state.A joint investigation between Vermont State Police and the Pennsylvania State Police showed that Large was staying at an acquaintance’s residence in Washington, Vermont.Large had active arrest warrants out of Pennsylvania for numerous charges that include terroristic threats.Vermont State Police located Large at the acquaintance’s residence at 185 Turnpike Road, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.The Vermont State Police Tactical Support Unit and the Crisis Negotiations Unit were called and removed the owners of the residence without incident.Large was later taken into custody after he left the residence.He was scheduled to be arraigned at the Orange County District Court today.Large is charged as a fugitive from justice, along with the other criminal charges in Pennsylvania.Large has a history of similar offenses.Most recently, he was accused of menacing a Northampton County judge with early morning phone calls on Dec. 21, 2015.Colonial Regional Police charged Large with threatening with a felony charge of unlawful harm to influence, and harassment.Large is also accused of threatening a woman by phone in October 2015.Police charged Large with terroristic threats and harassment for that call.In 2014, he was charged with planting a fake bomb on June 14 near the car of a Nesquehoning woman he had been harassing.Several years ago, Large was charged with stalking the late Carbon County Judge David W. Addy over three days.Addy had presided over an earlier custody hearing involving Large.Large confronted Addy in the courthouse, and showed up at the judge’s house, threatening to kill him. Addy locked himself and his family inside and called 911. A neighbor testified that Large repeatedly threatened to kill the judge.