Lincoln Police say a 69 year old man who lost $32,000 in a scam brought a briefcase to the Hall of Justice on Wednesday, which led to the bomb squad being called in.
LPD Sergeant Chris Vollmer says back in May the man says he was contacted by someone claiming to be with the Publishers Clearing House Prize Team telling him he had won $18 million and a new car. Before receiving the prize, he was told to send several checks totaling $32,000 to an unknown person.
“He was then sent a briefcase supposedly containing the documents specific to his prize winnings and the title to the car,” Vollmer says. He was also told not to open the briefcase or the documents would be destroyed by some sort of mechanism inside.
The man then brought the briefcase to the Hall of Justice. It was then taken outside onto a grassy area along 9th Street. The LFR Bomb Squad arrived and used a remote water cannon shot to force open the briefcase. Vollmer says there was a lot of paperwork inside, but none of
it related to lottery winnings.
(Photo: Courtesy Lincoln Fire and Rescue )