Joshua LePak
WAUKESHA, Wis. - A Waukesha man was sentenced to two years' probation after he was charged with threatening to blow up a bank on Sept. 3, 2021.
Joshua LePak, 30, pleaded guilty to one bomb scare count as part of a plea negotiation; the other six charges he faces, including terrorist threats, were then dismissed.
According to a criminal complaint, a Waukesha bank employee got the attention of a police officer and said a man approached her as she was leaving work near St. Paul and Madison. The man asked if she worked at the bank, adding that it was "dangerous" because the bank was "going to be robbed and shot up and blown up."
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The officer found several employees standing at the front doors of the bank, holding them shut. The officer was allowed inside and spoke to a manager, who said LePak had been there earlier, asking about a loan to start a fortune telling business, the complaint states. The manager said LePak was "acting very bizarre and asking bizarre questions." His business was denied, and he became agitated and began asking questions about loitering and security, the manager said per the complaint.
When located later that day roughly a half-mile from the bank, LePak was wearing a black shirt with pink writing on it made with duct tape that spelled "ISIS." Speaking to officers at that time, the complaint states LePak "became very nervous" and denied directing threats at anyone.
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During his arrest, the complaint states, LePak made comments such as "I guess I'll have to go through with my plan then" and argued the validity of his arrest. Among his property at the time of the arrest were a four homemade shanks made of razor blades and duct tape and a firework wrapped in a piece of paper.
The judge initially sentenced LePak to 20 months in prison, but stayed the sentence in favor of probation.