RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Rankin County deputies and Pearl police arrested a man who allegedly threatened to “blow up” the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigator Tyler Burnell, with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, said Joshua Daniel Pace, 44, of Brandon, was arrested on Thursday, December 19 and charged with making terroristic threats.

According to Burnell, the sheriff’s office received in excess of 20 phone calls on December 18 and December 19. He said 911 dispatchers were threatened with physical violence, and the caller threatened to “blow up” the sheriff’s office.

Investigators were able to obtain the call recordings and identified Pace’s number. Once he was arrested, Burnell said authorities discovered that Pace was out on parole through the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) for elder abuse.

Pace is being held at the Rankin County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing.