A 61-year-old man upset about facing foreclosure was arrested Monday after he made threatening comments to a Collier County government official, sheriff’s reports said.Jean Claude Martel, 3190 Karen Drive, East Naples, was charged with threatening to throw, project, place or discharge a destructive device, a felony.
Arrest reports say Martel showed up at the Collier County manager’s office at the Collier County Government Center, 3301 U.S. 41 E., East Naples, around 12:30 p.m. on July 25 and refused to leave until he spoke with the county manger.
Deputy County Manager Leo Ochs spoke to Martel, who was upset because the county was foreclosing on his property, arrest reports said.
During their conversation Martel threatened several times to blow up buildings at the county government center and at the county code enforcement offices on Horseshoe Drive in East Naples, arrest reports said. He also threatened to shoot county employees if they attempted to enter his property and to burn any buildings that might be built on “his land,” arrest reports said.
Deputies questioned Martel on Monday and placed him under arrest, reports said. With his permission, deputies removed a 22-caliber rifle from his residence, reports said.
