Man on MTV's "Catfish" accused of making fake threats in DC
WASHINGTON - A man once featured on MTV's "Catfish" reality show about online scams was charged Wednesday with calling in fake threats against Metro stations, buses and trains in the nation's capital.
Jerez Nehemiah Stone-Coleman, who is also known as "Kidd Cole," was arrested Wednesday at his southeast Washington home on charges of making terroristic threats against Metro stations, buses and trains, Metro Transit Police said in a news release. Stone-Coleman appeared on "Catfish" last year.
Stone-Coleman was in custody, and it is not yet clear if he has an attorney.
In a complaint, investigators said Stone-Coleman called 911 on 11 occasions to report bomb threats or hostage situations since December, including reports of plans to take hostages on a Metro bus for a $15 million ransom. Not long after terrorist attacks in Paris in January, one caller reported learning of plans from people "from France" to ambush the president's motorcade and assassinate the president.
"We have no greater responsibility than protecting Metro's customers and employees," Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik said in a news release. "This case demonstrates the seriousness with which we take all threats and the lengths to which we will go to bring those responsible to justice."
These calls prompted emergency responses by Metro Transit Police and other law enforcement agencies, but the threats turned out to be "wholly false," according to the complaint. Detectives used cellphone records, surveillance video from stations and buses and telephone audio to identify Stone-Coleman, police said.