Man pleads guilty to making threat that shut down Kansas City area Ford plant
A man pleaded guilty last week to calling in a false threat that led to the shutdown of the Ford Assembly Plant in Claycomo in July 2023, according to court documents.
Zachariah A. Peterson, a 21-year-old from Independence, pleaded guilty in Clay County Circuit Court to one count of making a terrorist threat. Prosecutors alleged he made the threat so an acquaintance could have the night off work.
In his plea, Peterson admitted to telling the plant that a person was armed with firearms and explosives inside the plant, according to court documents.
Prosecutors will recommend that Peterson, who was 19 at the time, be sentenced to four years in a Missouri prison, according to the terms of the plea agreement.
A sentencing hearing was set for 3 p.m. September 3.
Peterson’s plea comes as he was scheduled to face a jury trial later this month. That trial has been canceled due to the plea.
Armed with AK-47, explosives
According to court documents, the Ford plant’s safety and risk management team received a call about 5:20 p.m. on July 18, 2023, from an unknown man stating he was armed, had explosives and would start shooting if the plant at 8121 Northeast U.S. 69 was not evacuated.
The man said he was armed with an AK-47 rifle and three magazines, a handgun and one pound of C-4 explosives strapped to his chest.
At the time, authorities said the person claimed to be a disgruntled employee barricaded in a factory bathroom.
The threat forced Ford to shut down production at the assembly plant and associated buildings, including the paint and body shops, and evacuate about 2,200 employees for the night as tactical officers responded. An estimated 100 state and federal law enforcement officers responded.
Authorities said it took around 6 hours to search the massive plant.
While investigating the threat, law enforcement officers identified Peterson as a suspect, and shortly after 4:30 a.m. the next day, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Claycomo Police Department arrested him at his home in Independence, according to court documents.
When being questioned by Clay County Sheriff and Claycomo police investigators, Peterson allegedly admitted to making the threat via text app on his cellphone to conceal his identity.
Peterson also allegedly confirmed to investigators that the message stated he had an AK-47 and the explosives strapped to his chest because he was tired of being worked like a slave and his hours were getting cut, and that he wanted the plant to be evacuated and everyone sent home.
