Man Accused Of Mailing Grenade To Upstate New York Town’s Public Safety Building

A man in Upstate New York was taken into custody after he allegedly mailed a grenade to a municipal building, authorities said.

On Oct. 3,the U.S. Postal Inspection Services and the Geneva Police Department learned Melvin Francis Lackey, 57, allegedly went to the Geneva Post Office and mailed two packages the Public Safety Building, officials said.

Shortly before 11 a.m. the following day, security at the Geneva City Court screened the packages for hazardous or dangerous material, per protocol, and “observed what appeared to be an explosive device,” police said.

X-ray images showed one package contained several liquid-filled bottles as well as a pineapple-style grenade, while the other had what appeared to be miscellaneous items, police said.

The Monroe County bomb squad was notified, and authorities launched an investigation.

According to police, detectives identified Lackey as a suspect in the case and the Geneva Police Department and the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at his residence.

Lackey was taken into custody without incident and he faces a felony charge of placing a false bomb.

He was being held at the Ontario County jail.