A Prince George's County judge on Tuesday threw out the single charge against Neil Prescott, the Crofton man accused of making threatening calls to his former workplace in a case that got national attention because he reportedly called himself "joker."
The Baltimore Sun reports mental health court Judge Patrice E. Lewis ruled that charging documents did not specify the crime Prescott was believed to have committed.
The Sun reports State's Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks said her office may refile the charges, and disputed the judge's claim that her office made a mistake on the charging documents.
Prescott was charged with telephone misuse after allegedly making threatening phone calls to his former workplace, a Pitney Bowes in Lanham, last year. In July, Prescott reportedly called and said "I'm the joker, and I'm going to load my guns and blow everyone up."
The calls happened days after James Homes—who also referred to himself as "The Joker"—allegedly opened fire in an Aurora, CO movie theater, killing 12 and injuring 58.
When Prescott was taken into custody at his Crofton home in July, he was found to be in possession of more than 20 firearms and 400 rounds of ammunition, all legally purchased, according to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney's Office.
The guns were seized, but state's attorney's office officials said before the case the firearms would be returned if he was found not guilty or sentenced to less than two years in prison.
The telephone misuse charge carried three years in prison.
Crofton Patch Local Editor Tim Lemke contributed to this report.
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