Nickolaus D. Russell, a suspended Ohio University student, no longer has terroristic charges filed against him.
After being arrested Oct. 16 for allegedly making a terroristic threat, Nickolaus D. Russell, a suspended Ohio University student, no longer has terroristic charges filed against him.
Russell waived his right to a preliminary trial set for Oct. 26, which moved the case to the Athens County Court of Common Pleas, according to court documents. There, Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn wrote a Bill of Information on Dec. 16 stating that Russell had two new counts against him.
They include one count against Russell for possessing criminal tools and another for inducing panic. Both are fifth-degree felony charges.
A bill of information can be used instead of an indictment by a grand jury, which is why the charges against Russell changed.
Russell was originally set to appear in court for charges of making terroristic threats and drug abuse of LSD. His bond was set at $15,000.
The original terroristic threat charge was considered a third-degree felony, with a maximum penalty of three years in prison. The drug abuse charge is considered a fifth-degree felony, which comes with a maximum of 12 months behind bars, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
Russell was arrested after allegedly making an anonymous post on social media that said he was going to “kill a cop,” according to a previous Post report. Court documents show that Russell posted the threat on Twitter.
OUPD removed him from his residence in Boyd Hall on the day of the arrest. During an interview with OUPD officers, Russell admitted to posting the tweet and could not justify why he did it, according to court documents.
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