Centre County prosecutors drop charges against man accused of threats to business
Centre County prosecutors dropped all charges Tuesday against an ex-Advance Auto Parts employee who was accused of threatening to kill his former coworkers and placing phone calls to prompt a police response.
Prosecutors abandoned the case against Leslie P. Scott, 40, eight days after he was arrested. He was released Tuesday from the Centre County Correctional Facility.
Scott, of Benner Township, maintained his innocence and passed a polygraph test Monday, Centre County First Assistant Public Defender Lora Rupert said Tuesday.
Scott described his arrest as an “off-putting surprise.” He said he holds no grudges against either State College police or the county’s prosecutors.
“I basically walked out of the prison happy to breathe that fresh, free air,” Scott said. “... In this case, I knew I was innocent.”
Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna’s office did not immediately offer a detailed explanation for why they dropped the more than two dozens charges against Scott, including 15 felonies.
Others are being investigated after “new evidence came to light,” borough police Lt. Chad Hamilton said.
“He has denied the allegations from day one. He was just always trying to prove his innocence,” Rupert said. “He was so cooperative — gave up his phone, took the test. It was a sad situation.”
Police alleged Scott — who was fired from the business — disguised his phone number for nearly a month to make more than 20 phone calls to the automotive retailer in College Township and Centre County dispatchers.
He was accused of placing a bomb threat and stating he was going to kill employees, police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. At least one call forced the business to close early.
Current employees were cleared after interviews and polygraphs, police wrote. Scott offered his full cooperation to identify the person responsible for the calls.
“It made me realize we take so many things for granted,” Scott said. “We don’t appreciate them until we have something like this happen in our lives.”