A Pottsville man is locked up in Schuylkill County Prison after making threats to blow up two county buildings.
Upon arrival, officers were met by Deputy Sheriffs who were able to provide law enforcement with information about the threat.
Both agencies began an immediate investigation into this incident which resulted in officers contacting a known witness who came forward to alert authorities.
According to the witness, around 9:30am, on Friday, he was in the 900 block of West Market St when he was approached by Howard Lincoln Ash, 44, of Pottsville.
Ash and the witness began having a conversation which resulted in Ash making threatening statements against both the Schuylkill County Courthouse and the Schuylkill County Children & Youth building located in Pottsville.
Ash told this witness that if he does not get his children back from Children and Youth at an upcoming hearing later this year then he would blow up both buildings using fertilizer that he claimed he had already prepared in barrels.
Ash was taken into custody without incident and charged by Detective Joseph Welsh of the Pottsville Bureau of Police with Threatening to use weapons of mass destruction and Terroristic threats.
Ash was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley and committed to Schuylkill County Prison after being unable to post $50,000 straight cash bail.