W.Va. student free on $5K bond after bomb scare

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — A student at a West Virginia university who terrified classmates by using a fake bomb in a class presentation has been released from jail on bond.

Harrison County Magistrate Frank DeMarco said Wednesday that 33-year-old Joshua John Richards was pleasant, cooperative and very remorseful when he appeared in court late Tuesday.

He says Richards, a student at Salem International University, kept saying he was only doing a school project and was sorry for how it turned out.

Richards is facing a misdemeanor charge of manufacturing and possessing a hoax bomb — in this case, a ticking black box with a blinking green light.

That's a misdemeanor punishable by six months to a year behind bars and a fine of up to $5,000.

He has requested a public defender and was freed on $5,000 bond.