Adrian man charged in scare

4/8/2006

ADRIAN - A 60-year-old Adrian man was in the Lenawee County Jail last night facing charges related to a bomb scare Thursday in Adrian.

Otto Bilkey was charged with attempted bank robbery, possession with intent to frighten or intimidate, and driving with forged license plates. All three offenses are felonies. Bond was set at $500,000, police said.

According to Adrian police, Mr. Bilkey drove into the parking lot of the Family Video on West Maumee Street three times between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Family Video employees became suspicious and called police, who arrested Mr. Bilkey.

Police found a duffel bag with wires sticking out of it inside Mr. Bilkey's car. Officers from the state's bomb unit in Lansing were dispatched to the scene at 4:45 p.m. Inside the duffel bag they found wires affixed to a circuit board with duct tape, but no bomb.

Police say they believe that Mr. Bilkey, who was wearing a fake beard, was planning to rob one of the three banks near the video store.