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GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (BFMG) — Authorities have identified the man accused of making a bomb threat that temporarily shut down a portion of Interstate 85 in Greenville County on Jan. 2.
According to WACH, Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi, of Oak Lawn, Illinois, was taken into custody and charged with multiple offenses, including breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature, no vehicle license, and conveying false information regarding a bomb threat. Bond for the combined charges was set at $20,238.
According to inmate records, Alhendi is also subject to an “arrest warrant for pendency of ongoing removal proceedings” issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The incident began around 2:45 p.m. when a South Carolina State Transport Police officer initiated a traffic stop on a tractor-trailer on I-85 due to a missing license plate, according to a Facebook post by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. During the stop, Alhendi allegedly made a bomb threat, prompting an immediate response from law enforcement.
As a precaution, all six lanes of I-85 near mile marker 44 were shut down while authorities investigated. A bomb squad later determined the area was safe, with no explosive device found. The highway reopened around 7:40 p.m., according to a statement from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster acknowledged the incident on X, confirming the closure was enacted “out of an abundance of caution.” South Carolina Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway also shared available detour information on the platform during the closure.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
