CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A man charged with having a fake bomb in his vehicle parked across the street from a Lockland bank appeared in court. Michael Gimlin faces charges of inducing panic, having a hoax weapon of mass destruction and carrying a concealed weapon.
A bank employee who had returned from lunch spotted Gimlin across the street from the U.S. Bank on Williams Street. When he got out, she saw he had a holstered gun, according to court papers. He got back in his SUV and stayed there for 30-40 minutes before bank employees called police. They were worried he was going to rob the bank.
Police arrived and say they found a loaded gun on Gimlin. As officers started to search his SUV, they say they saw a white PVC pipe with a fuse on vehicle's floor.
Police evacuated the surrounding homes and businesses.
Officers say Gimlin said it was only a smoke grenade but admitted it looked like a bomb.
The bomb squad detonated the device. They did determine it to be a hoax made to look like a pipe bomb.
Gimlin is also not allowed to have a gun due to a past conviction.
A judge ordered Gimlin held on $100,000 bond.
