Kmart Employee Guilty of Phony Bomb Threats

A Crofton Kmart employee has admitted calling in 16 bomb threats to the store and pilfering appliances, according to police.

Leslie Elton Cranston of the 2800 block of 63rd Place in Cheverly pleaded guilty Thursday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to one count of theft scheme and one count of false statement of a destructive device.

Between December 2014 and March 2015, units of the Anne Arundel County Police Department and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department responded to 16 bomb threats at the Kmart store, 1647 Crofton Center. During each threatening phone call, officials were told a bomb was inside the building, which caused the store to be evacuated of customers and staff.

Cranston was eventually developed as a suspect in the calls, police said. Kmart loss prevention employees and police officers conducted surveillance of Cranston and reportedly saw him stealing appliances from the Crofton Kmart. Following his arrest, Cranston admitted to calling in a bomb threat to the store.

A judge ordered Cranston to reimburse the Anne Arundel County Police and Fire Departments for the unnecessary use of first responder resources and to repay Kmart for the company’s loss through his thefts.

»Photo of Leslie Elton Cranston, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police