Law-enforcement technologyCriminals cannot hide behind prepaid phones
Cambria County, Pennsylvania police quickly tracked the individual who called to say he had placed a bomb in the county courthouse. The individual called the court to warn of the bomb and allow for an orderly evacuation. The call was a hoax, but the the authorities began to evacuate the building. Even before the court was completely evacuated, the 911 dispatch center, Ebensburg Borough Police Department, and Cambria County Sheriff’s Department all knew that the call came from a prepaid phone purchased at the Richland Township Wal-Mart. With the prompt help of Verizon and Wal-Mart, the suspect was nabbed.
Last week Steven Jablonski purchased a prepaid phone, then, within hours, he called the Cambria County, Pennsylvania 911 dispatch center and told the operator a bomb had been planted at the Cambria County Courthouse. The call was a hoax, but the the authorities began to evacuate the building. Before authorities could completely evacuate the courthouse, the 911 dispatch center, Ebensburg Borough Police Department, and Cambria County Sheriff’s Department all knew that the call came from a prepaid phone purchased at the Richland Township Wal-Mart.
Government Technology reports that upon receiving the call, the dispatch center was able to identify the phone carrier, and within minutes Verizon confirmed that the phone was purchased at a Wal-Mart at 4.40 a.m. Tuesday. While county and judicial officials evacuated the courthouse, authorities went to Wal-Mart to review the security tape, which confirmed that Jablonski made the purchase, along with a female companion.
Once the phone was purchased and activated, a chip in the phone makes it identifiable to Verizon. Soon after, the sheriff’s office posted a photo of Jablonski and his companion on the department’s Facebook page, and within five minutes, multiple sources identified the two.
“Sometimes it’s good to be lucky. Everything fell our way,” Ebensburg police chief Terry Wyland said, as he confirmed that there was no actual bomb. “It went like clockwork.”
President Commissioner of Cambria County, Douglas Lengenfelder said the operation was anything but luck, attributing the success of the operation to hard work meeting opportunity. “We had a lot of hard work which met with opportunity when a lot of people came together and made things happen,” he said.
Verizon and other cell phone carriers offer tracking information to law enforcement upon reasonable request. According to Erica Sevilla, Verizon’s public relations senior consultant for the region, “protecting our customer’s privacy is one of Verizon Wireless’s highest priorities. Verizon Wireless also has a legal obligation to provide customer information to law enforcement in many situations.”
Robbin Melnyk, deputy director of Cambria County Department of Emergency Services, said law enforcement agencies have immediate access to communications companies, but despite all the technology available, tracking phones can be challenging. “We do know when we answer a call if it’s wireless, but if we have to get a cellphone call, it’s best if it’s a Phase 2, where we know the owner and a call-back number,” she said. A phase 1 cellphone call is harder to trace since the phone is backed by a monthly contract. “TracFones can be very challenging for us,” she said. “The only thing we get is the number and the provider.”
Jablonski was charged with calling in a bomb threat, and was subject to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. The court has not released District Judge Frederick Creany’s decision.
