Hoax Bomb Suspect Held On $50K Bail

BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A man charged in connection with a suspicious suitcase left near a Department of Homeland Security vehicle in Boston is being held on $50,000 bail.

James Derepentigny, 50, of Lawrence, pleaded not guilty Monday in Boston Municipal Court on a charge of planting a hoax device.

Prosecutors say Derepentigny admitted the suitcase was his, and said that he left it by the vehicle because he wanted to "help Homeland Security." It was noted in court that Derepentigny has a history of mental illness.

Derepentigny's defense attorney, Alyssa Hackett, argued for a lower bail, saying this incident has nothing to do with recent scares across the country.

"This is not an explosive device," said Hackett. "This is not a person who has anything to do with the climate in the country right now."

A day before the incident, Derepentigny was in court in Lawrence for a case there. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said his bail in that unrelated case was revoked.

Police said Derepentigny was seen on several surveillance cameras around Boston on Friday. Once they distributed his photos, they said many calls came in from the public--including from Derepentigny's family and friends, and people who had seen him board a Lawrence bus with the suitcase.

The abandoned suitcase was found Friday during a routine patrol near the Coast Guard office on Atlantic Avenue. Police say Derepentigny put the package next to the vehicle and hurried away.

Police said an X-ray revealed it contained wires and an unidentified item that might be a "power source," prompting them to destroy it just before noon in a controlled detonation that sent a boom echoing off nearby skyscrapers.

Derepentigny is due back in court on January 4.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)