New Felony Charge For Man In Palmetto Bomb Scare
MIAMI (CBS4) – There's more legal trouble for the South Florida man at the center of a bomb scare which shutdown part of the Palmetto Expressway for hours earlier this month.
Prosecutors have charged Lee Lewis, 28, with an additional felony charge for possessing a fake rocket launcher, it is charged as a possessing a hoax destructive device.
On Tuesday, a more subdued Lewis appeared before a bond court judge who set his bond in the added charge at $7,500. The judge said she found probable cause for the charge.
Lewis is already facing a long list of charges including possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance (meth) and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use and driving with a suspended license.
The chaotic scene on the Palmetto unfolded on July 8th when Lewis' tricked-out hearse broke down underneath a Palmetto Expressway overpass in Miami Gardens. He left and when police arrived, an officer spotted what he believed to be an arsenal of weapons and a rocket launcher inside the vehicle.
Miami-Dade Police's bomb squad was called to the scene and cleared the hearse for impounding, but not before traffic was snarled for hours at the height of Friday rush hour. It turned out the weapons were fake.
Lewis remains in custody and is undergoing mental health evaluations.
His arraignment is scheduled for August 1st.
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