Crime & Safety

IGH Man Jailed After Issuing Fake Bomb Threat, Taking Hostages

If convicted of terroristic threats, Philip James Pariso faces up to three years in prison and a $3,000 fine. The kidnapping charges against him, on the other hand, carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $35,000 fine.

A 33-year-old Inver Grove Heights man was arrested on Aug. 10 after Minneapolis police say he held two downtown Minneapolis M&I Bank employees hostage with what he said was a bomb.

Philip James Pariso was charged Monday with two counts of felony terroristic threats and two counts of felony kidnapping after he allegedly walked into the bank just before noon Friday and told them he wanted to reopen a closed bank account.  

According to a Hennepin County criminal complaint, Pariso was taken back to a customer services cubicle where he then told two employees not to leave and that he had a bomb in the bag he was holding.

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The complaint states he told one of the employees to call the Minneapolis Police Department so he could speak to police and WCCO-TV because he wanted to talk to a reporter.

Pariso allegedly held the hostages for approximately 25-30 minutes before Minneapolis police talked him into releasing them. Ultimately, no bomb was found.

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Pariso is scheduled to make his first appearance in Hennepin County Court Tuesday morning. If convicted of one count of terroristic threats, Pariso faces up to three years and a $3,000 fine. 

Alternatively, one count of kidnapping carries with it a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. 


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