(CBS/AP) Friends of a Boston-area man charged in connection with a marketing ploy turned bomb scare say he was told to keep quiet even after the devices they had placed began causing a stir.

The Boston Globe and ABC News are reporting on e-mails purportedly sent to a friend by Peter Berdovsky on Wednesday, while bomb squads were responding to electronic devices around the city.

In the e-mail attributed to Berdovsky, he writes that an executive of the marketing agency that hired him to place the signs had called and told him to "keep everything on the dl" — dl standing for "down low" or quiet.

The marketing firm — Interference Incorporated — has not returned calls from the Associated Press since Wednesday's episode.

Toshi Hoo, a friend of Berdovsky's received an e-mail from him Wednesday afternoon that read, "My boss at the Cartoon Network's ad agency just called — she is asking that I pretty please keep everything on the dl [down low; quiet]," according to ABC News.

Berdovsky and Sean Stevens pleaded not guilty to charges of placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct. The men were released on $2,500 cash bond — and were apparently amused by the situation. They face up to five years in prison.

After getting out of jail, they met reporters and television cameras and launched into a nonsensical discussion of hair styles of the 1970s. But as they walked off, Berdovsky gave a more serious comment

"We need some time to really sort things out and, you know, figure out our response to this situation in other ways than talking about hair," Berdovsky said.

He later released a statement through a Boston law firm.

"I regret that this incident has created such anguish and disruption for the residents and law enforcement officers of this city," Berdovsky said. "I certainly never intended to do anything to frighten this community, which has welcomed and nurtured me for 10 years."

Officials found 38 blinking electronic signs on bridges, a subway station, a hospital, Fenway Park, and other high-profile spots in and around the city.

By contrast, in New York City, officers went to the various locations amid the hysteria in Boston and found only two of the devices — both attached to a highway overpass. Police said it did not appear any were placed on the subway or landmarks such as Empire State Building or Brooklyn Bridge.

Meanwhile, Turner Broadcasting System apologized to Boston-area residents on Friday for the security scare caused by the electronic signs that were part of a nationwide marketing campaign for its subsidiary Cartoon Network.

© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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