Crime & Safety
Jury Indicts Alleged Livingston High School Threat Maker
The Hackensack teen is accused of making threats to a Livingston school, an Essex County judge and multiple law enforcement officers.
LIVINGSTON, NJ — A Hudson County grand jury has returned a 13-count indictment charging John Coulouris, 18, of Hackensack, with making multiple threats on social media last fall, including a threat to Livingston High School that resulted in the shutdown of the school, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the case was moved from Essex County where the crimes allegedly occurred to Hudson County because Coulouris is charged with threatening to send a bomb to the home of a Superior Court judge in Essex County.
Coulouris is accused of sending nude photographs via social media to a 16-year-old ex-girlfriend who lived in Livingston, as well as cyber-harassment for threats against his ex-girlfriend and her family, prosecutors said.
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- See related article: N.J. Teen Allegedly Behind Livingston Threats Arrested
Coulouris is also accused of impersonating his ex-girlfriend, her family and a Livingston Police detective as part of an effort to thwart the investigation, prosecutors stated.
The indictment further alleges that Coulouris falsely threatened to bring a deadly weapon to Livingston High School and kill students on two separate dates.
Find out what's happening in Livingstonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He also allegedly “made threats against various members of law enforcement,” prosecutors said.
The harassment and threats started in September 2016 and continued until December 2016, authorities stated.
- See related article: Teen Rearrested, Allegedly Made More Threats In Livingston
The case is unique because some of the charges fall under the newly enhanced “swatting law” which allows law enforcement to bring second degree offenses when individuals make threats that are likely to result in SWAT Teams responding to the home of a victim or an alleged perpetrator, prosecutors said.
Under the old law, such offenses were 3rd-degree crimes, according to authorities.
Court proceedings involving this case will be held in Hudson County. Coulouris is currently being held on $400,000 cash only bail, prosecutors said.
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