MOUNT HOLLY — A 16-year-old Mount Laurel boy charged with false public alarm for making bomb threats to Lenape High School in October has been sentenced to two years' probation after an appearance in Burlington County Family Court.
Superior Court Judge Cornelius Sullivan sentenced the youth last week and ordered him to pay $1,000 restitution to the school and $1,500 to Medford. The boy must also maintain a part-time job to pay the restitution and attend mentoring and counseling programs.
Medford police detectives arrested the youth, whom officials have not identified, on Oct. 24 after the school had to be evacuated several times while the threats were investigated.
A few days before the arrest, fire trucks and police cars could be seen at the high school. Bomb-sniffing dogs from Medford and Willingboro searched the school but found nothing suspicious.
Several students said the school had been evacuated at least three times before the youth was arrested, but the district would not say how many bomb threats had been made or how long they had been going on.
Students were sent home with letters to explain the situation to parents.
After the arrest, principal John Furgione wrote a letter to parents in which he praised students and staff for their cooperation with security measures implemented at the school as a result of the threats.
At his first appearance in court, the 16-year-old was ordered to remain in the Burlington County Juvenile Detention Center, where he was taken after his arrest.
In addition to his sentence, the youth's driving privileges were suspended for six months.
"We want to send a loud and clear message that anyone who commits this type of offense and telephones a bomb threat into a school or other building will be arrested and vigorously prosecuted by this office," Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said.
Officials of the Lenape Regional High School District could not be reached for comment.
Melanie D. Scott's e-mail address is mescott@phillynews.com
