Ex-ski patroller threatens to ‘blow up’ Colorado sheriff’s office, officials say

An ex-ski patroller who formerly worked with explosives texted investigators that would “blow up” a Colorado sheriff’s office, federal authorities said.

The 39-year-old Norwood man faces a federal charge of making threats by means of explosives, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado said in a news release.

The Telluride ski resort where the man had worked before his dismissal in 2021 told detectives that he handled explosives as part of his duties but no longer has access to them, the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

He worked with the explosives for avalanche control, the release said.

The sheriff’s office contacted him as part of an investigation into a woman’s fatal fentanyl overdose in Norwood in February, the release said.

He became agitated and sent texts to investigators that threatened to “blow up” the sheriff’s office and two businesses, sheriff’s officials said.

“People are going to die,” he texted, according to an arrest affidavit quoted by KDVR.

He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, prosecutors said.

This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Ex-ski patroller threatens to ‘blow up’ Colorado sheriff’s office, officials say."