Salem, Harrison County , West Virginia

A Salem International University student who police said terrified classmates by using a fake bomb in a class presentation is free on $5,000 bond and will return to court in four to six weeks.

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

He said Richards 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.

Richards has requested a public defender.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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A Salem International University student who tried to get creative by using a fake bomb in an English class presentation is in custody after a scare that disrupted the campus and had students in tears.

Harrison County Prosecutor Joe Shaffer said he will charge Joshua John Richards, 33, of Clarksburg with manufacture and possession of a hoax bomb. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in prison upon conviction.

Shaffer said he will also seek thousands of dollars' restitution for the cost of the emergency response, which involved fire and police departments, sheriff's deputies and a bomb squad.

Shaffer said Richards realized his creativity had gone awry when female classmates began crying Tuesday.

He took his black box with its blinking green light to his car and waited for police.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Officials say a Salem International University student has been taken into custody in connection with a bomb threat that disrupted at least one class on campus.

WDTV said the device that was found was a hoax, and not an actual bomb.

University Vice President Eric Kirkland told media outlets the suspect is a 22-year-old male, but his name has not been released.

Neither school officials nor Salem police immediately responded to phone messages seeking more information.

Kirkland said a security guard called 911 Tuesday morning after the suspect threatened an English class, then left. Officers later found a small black box in his car.

Harrison County Prosecutor Joe Shaffer said it had a green light and was beeping, but Kirkland said police dogs didn't react to the device, so it may not be explosive.

Some students have been relocated while the incident is investigated.

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WDTV in Clarksburg said Tuesday afternoon the device found at Salem International University was a hoax and was not an actual bomb.

Authorities were questioning a student in connection with the device.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for updates on this story.

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WDTV in Clarksburg reported Tuesday afternoon the suspect being questioned in connection with a bomb-like device is a student who walked into an English class at Salem International University.

The station said the student made some type of remark, and the other students and professor evacuated the classroom.

The Harrison County Sheriff's Department, West Virginia State Police and Salem Police Department are investigating. The suspect is being questioned at the sheriff's department.

Stay tuned for updates on this story.

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Harrison County sheriff's deputies are questioning a man who reportedly had a bomb-like device at Salem International University.

A caller to 911 said a man inside a building at the university had a device that looked like a bomb, Lt. Pat McCarty of the Harrison County Sheriff's Department said. He said the bomb squad was looking at the device to determine if it is a bomb. The incident happened about 10:40 a.m.

No charges had been filed, and the man was being questioned at the sheriff's department to gather more information about the incident. McCarty said a vehicle is involved in the investigation, but he did not know what the connection is yet.

WDTV provided part of the video in this report.
Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for updates on this story.

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Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.