FAIRFIELD, Maine — An Oklahoma man has been charged in connection with a threat that closed Fairfield area schools Monday.
Fairfield Police Chief Thomas Gould reportedly asked MSAD 49 schools to close Monday out of an abundance of caution because of posts that were "concerning in nature." MSAD 49 comprises the towns of Albion, Benton, Clinton, and Fairfield.
Kennebec Valley Community College, as well as the Kennebec Montessori School, also closed Monday because of the threat.
In a release Tuesday, Fairfield police said 32-year-old Edward Timothy Dawe, formerly of Fairfield but now a resident of Oklahoma City, is facing the following charges:
- Terrorism hoax
- Violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act
Both charges are felonies in Oklahoma, police said. Dawe was taken to the Oklahoma County Detention Center on $1 million bond, the release stated.
After the threat was discovered, officers from the Fairfield Police Department met with several other law enforcement agencies including the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, Waterville Police Department, Maine State Police Computer Crimes Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Kennebec-Somerset District Attorney’s Office, as well as notifying the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Those agencies cooperated with the Oklahoma City Police Department to make the arrest, according to the release.
MSAD 49 schools reopened Tuesday.
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