A Rivesville man was charged with reporting a false emergency incident over the weekend after allegedly calling the Monongalia County Emergency Management Agency (MECCA 911) dispatch center multiple times with no emergency happening.
This is the second arrest in a week related to problematic calls being made to the emergency communications hub and the third time in a month.
According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 4, Karl Jones, 55, of Rivesville, made roughly seven calls to 911 requesting emergency services to his residence on Craig Run Road.
Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the calls – each time upon their arrival, there was no emergency in progress.
The Dominion Post reached out to sheriff’s department officials about the nature of the calls but did not receive a response in time for this report. It is unclear what “emergency” Jones claimed to be having.
Jones apparently has a history of making similar calls, having allegedly called requesting emergency services 17 other times since January 2023.
In January, Ralph David Miller, 56, of Morgantown, allegedly called 911 at least five times because “he had just bought drugs from someone for $7,” police reported.
This is also not the first time Miller has made non-emergency 911 calls to MECCA and is said to have been informed multiple times in the past to not call 911 unless he has an emergency to report.
Miller was released from custody after posting bond.
Last Sunday, Mon County deputies arrested Moses Thomas Tennant, 68, of Fairview, after he allegedly made threats to MECCA dispatchers and told them to send police “with body bags,” according to the criminal complaint.
Tennant was released from custody after posting bond. A preliminary hearing in that case is scheduled for Friday afternoon in Monongalia County Magistrate Court.
As for Jones, upon their last visit to his residence, deputies arrested and charged him with false reporting of an emergency incident.
He was arraigned early Monday morning and was released after posting bond.
