PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) --For leaders at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the threats are getting a little tiresome.
The facility has received four threatening messages within the last two weeks.
"Oh, it's frustrating. I mean, we take it very seriously," said Captain Scott Brown, the shipyard's commanding officer.
The rash of problems began on May 22nd, when, shipyard law enforcement personnel were dispatched to an industrial building at the yard, in response to a written bomb threat discovered in a restroom.
As a precaution, employees in the vicinity were temporarily evacuated. They eventually returned to work.
There has been no description released about the other three threats.
The 251-year-old Naval Shipyard is the oldest and largest industrial facility belonging to the U.S. Navy. They do critical work, overhauling and refueling nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.
Threats can be extremely disruptive to the daily operations at the more than 1,200-acre facility.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a local Navy base has been threatened. In March, a third class petty officer pleaded guilty to maliciously conveying false information in a case involving a series of bomb threats last September. The threats were directed at three ships and two at shore-based commands. The threats caused a series of lock-downs and evacuations that affected ships and pier operations for hours.
"A few months ago at Little Creek, they had a series of bomb threats as well," said Brown. "And the sailor who was doing it was caught, and so now, he's serving 15 months in a federal prison."
Now, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is offering a reward for the arrest of the person or persons responsible for these latest threats against the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
"We're working very closely with the NCIS on the investigation," said Brown. "We have a $2,500 reward out there for any information leading to an arrest of the individual that's doing this."
If anyone has any information, they are asked to contact NCIS at 757-396-5722 or submit a tip online.
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