East Haven Woman, 41, Arrested For Making Bank Bomb Threat: Police

EAST HAVEN, CT —A 41-year-old East Haven woman told investigators she called in a bomb threat against Wells Fargo Bank to have the building evacuated as her mother was inside reporting fraudulent activity on her bank account.

Lisa Coppola told police that she was "worried that she would be blamed" for fraudulent activity." So her plan was to make the threat to "evacuate the building and to prevent her mother from continuing her business inside the bank," according to East Haven police Capt. Joseph M. Murgo.

The original call was made to the Walgreens next door to the bank on Hemingway Avenue last Monday at around 11:40 a.m. On the call, Murgo said, Coppola allegedly said there was a bomb “next door” at Wells Fargo Bank, and to evacuate anyone inside the bank. That call prompted Walgreens employees to immediately call 911, Murgo said. The store, bank and nearby businesses were evacuated.

Hemingway Avenue was shut down and the New Haven Police Department Bomb Squad came and conducted a sweep of the Wells Fargo Bank, Internal Medicine and the M.A.D.D. office. No evidence of explosive devices or materials were found. And, there were No injuries reported.

The investigation, conducted by Detective Jon Trinh and Detective Nicholas Adams found that the phone used to make the call reporting the bomb threat belonged to Coppola. The woman initially claimed she had nothing to do with the threats, Murgo said. But when she gave her phone to cops, it was the same one used to make the call.

An arrest warrant affidavit was applied for and granted May 5.

Coppola turned herself into the East Haven Police Department and was charged with first-degree falsely reporting an incident, misuse of emergency 911, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree harassment.

Coppola was released on a court-set promise to appear and is due back in court May 18.