Police Arrest Former Telluride Employee for Making Bomb Threats Against Colorado Town
Police have arrested a former ski patroller after he made bomb threats against a Colorado mountain town.
According to a Tuesday (May 24) press release from the San Miguel Sheriff's Office (SMSO), Bryan Randolph Cornwell, a former employee at Telluride Ski Resort, threatened to blow up the sheriff's office and multiple businesses in Norwood earlier this year.
The threats began after authorities identified Cornwell, 39, as a person of interest in the February death of a Norwood woman.
Denver7 reports that Cornwell was dating the woman, who passed away after allegedly overdosing on fentanyl. The station shared texts from Cornwell, where he told law enforcement that "people are going to die because of you."
While Cornwell previously handled explosives meant for avalanche control at Telluride Ski Resort, he has not had access to them since the company fired him for failing a drug test in February 2021.
Denver7 noted that Cornwell could have created explosives using tools from a marijuana grow operation in his home; however, the SMSO said there is "no current threat to public safety."
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"We appreciate the FBI's swift action to detain Mr. Cornwell on these serious charges," said SMSO Sheriff Bill Masters in the release.
Cornwell appeared in a Grand Junction federal court on Monday (May 23). He is currently in federal custody, facing up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Uncover Colorado reports that Norwood is a small rural town north of Telluride in southwest Colorado.
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