Ryan Van Gorp. Photo Courtesy of Dallas County Sheriff’s Office

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office announces it has arrested one individual in relation to a previous bomb threat to the Dallas County Courthouse.

Chief Deputy Bret Maxwell says the sheriff’s office was notified of an online tip received by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the early morning hours on February 6. The tip alleged two men had placed explosives throughout the Dallas County Courthouse and planned to detonate them at 9 a.m. that day.

Maxwell adds that investigators later learned of an additional voicemail regarding the bomb threat left for the Executive Assistant with State Court Administration.

Security measures were put into place to secure the courthouse, including deploying the K9 Unit, to make sure there weren’t explosive devices present in the building.

Maxwell details that investigators with the sheriff’s office worked to identify the source of the threat, which included seizing a cell phone that was used to submit the online tip after executing multiple search warrants. 

Maxwell states that the cell phone belongs to Ryan Van Gorp, and a forensic review of the device showed a record of the call to the State Court Administration along with additional digital evidence. 

Van Gorp was in custody on February 9 for an unrelated warrant. Maxwell says that Van Gorp had been scheduled to be sentenced on two Dallas County court cases the same day he made the alleged bomb threats.

Van Gorp was then charged with two counts of Threat of Terrorism, a Class D Felony. 

Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.