Toms River Man Indicted In Threats To Town Hall, Justice Complex

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River man who was arrested after he stole his truck from an impound lot and painted a blue line down the middle of Hooper Avenue has been indicted in connection with threats made to Toms River Town Hall and the Ocean County Justice Complex.

David Giordano, 36, was indicted Thursday by a Monmouth County grand jury on charges of terroristic threats and false public alarm, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.

The case was presented to a Monmouth County grand jury because the threats were made against the Ocean County Judiciary, Billhimer said.

The charges stem from three videos uploaded on April 12 to a YouTube channel titled "Toms River Police are the Best," Billhimer said. The videos included images of Giordano, news coverage of Giordano’s arrest in connection with painting a blue line on Hooper Avenue, images of the Ocean County Justice Complex as well as Toms River Town Hall, followed by a video of a homemade bulldozer destroying public buildings in Granby, Colorado, in 2004. The videos also included graphics stating the person posting the video would turn Toms River Town Hall and the Ocean County Justice Complex "upside down," Billhimer said.

Giordano had been arrested in late March on charges he stole his bucket truck from an impound lot where it was being held due to unpaid impound fees, then used his truck while he painted a blue line down Hooper Avenue in support of law enforcement, Toms River police said at the time. Giordano additionally was charged with shoplifting, accused of stealing 11 gallons of paint from Home Depot to paint the line, police said.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit determined that Giordano produced and posted the videos to the YouTube Channel, he said. Search warrants were executed on May 3 at homes Giordano was known to live at in Toms River and Berkeley Township and detectives seized several items containing digital evidence, Billhimer said.

Toms River police pulled Giordano over and arrested him; he was held at the Ocean County Jail initially then moved to the Monmouth County jail shortly after his arrest. Giordano was released on July 21 pursuant to New Jersey bail reform, Billhimer said.

Billhimer praised Assistant Prosecutor Shanon Chant-Berry, who is handling the case, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, the Toms River Township Police Department, and the Berkeley Township Police Department.

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