Cops: Levittown man threatened county workers

A Levittown man was arrested Tuesday after he made threats to a human services agency worker demanding that more money be released from his Social Security check, said Nassau County Third Squad detectives.

Michael Barber, 62, spoke by phone with a Nassau County Department of Human Service finance manager around 9 a.m. and, after being told that no check was due to him, said he was going to "blow up the building," said police in a news release.

Barber called the agency again at 11:10 a.m. and repeated his threats to a case manager, saying that he would "blow up the building with C4 explosives" and suggesting that the manager leave the building, said police.

Barber was arrested at 2:30 p.m. by Second Precinct officers and placed into custody without incident. There was no indication that he had explosives, police said.

Barber was charged with two counts of making a terroristic threat and two counts of second-degree aggravated harassment. He was arraigned Wednesday and held pending a $5,000 cash bail or bond.

Barber's mother, Mary Barber, 85, said her son is on disability and suffers from emotional issues.

"He's his own worst enemy. He just talks. He certainly would never have done that," she said of the threat. "He gets very, very mad and doesn't know how to talk to people."

Mary Barber said she was surprised about the arrest because workers there know him and "know that he gets upset sometimes."

Barber will be arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead.