A man who once appeared on MTV’s “Catfish” reality show, featuring online con artists, was charged Wednesday with making terroristic threats against the Washington, D.C., public transportation system.
Jerez Nehemiah Stone-Coleman, known for passing himself off as a music producer named Kidd Cole, was arrested Wednesday without incident at his southeast Washington home, The Associated Press reported.
In a complaint, investigators said Mr. Stone-Coleman called 911 on 11 occasions since December to report fake bomb threats or hostage situations.
In one threat, Mr. Stone-Coleman allegedly claimed he and his friends were planning to hold hostages on a city bus for a $15 million ransom. In another call made last month, he allegedly said a bomb had been placed at the McPherson Square Metro station and at the White House, Fox News reported.
The calls prompted emergency responses by Metro Transit Police and other law enforcement agencies but turned out to be “wholly false,” according to the complaint.
“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.”
Mr. Stone-Coleman appeared as Kidd Cole in a May 2014 episode of “Catfish,” which documents people duped by online scams. Loretta, a limo driver from Washington, claimed he robbed her of $8,000 by using her luxury car service on several occasions and never paying, Fox reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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