DUNEDIN, Fla. — Jerome Chambers was just trying to get paid. Like, really trying. And by “really trying,” we mean allegedly threatening to turn Dunedin City Hall into a Michael Bay movie set because his payroll app wasn’t cooperating.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Chambers—a contractor for the Florida Department of Emergency Management—was in the middle of updating residents on polling location changes (because, you know, hurricanes) when his paycheck decided to ghost him. And by “ghost him,” we mean the payroll app locked him out like a nightclub bouncer with a personal vendetta.
Witnesses say Chambers went from mildly annoyed to full Florida Man in record time, allegedly declaring he was going to “blow them up.” Then, in what can only be described as a terrible career move, he grabbed a mysterious black duffel bag from his car. Spoiler alert: It was not full of snacks or extra socks.
Naturally, everyone within earshot bolted faster than a tourist spotting a gator in a Walmart parking lot. Deputies arrived, questioned Chambers, and—shocker—he denied everything. Authorities searched the area and found zero bombs, just a whole lot of awkward.
Chambers was arrested for making a false bomb threat and violating probation (because of course there was a probation violation—this is Florida).
Moral of the story? If your paycheck gets lost in the digital void, maybe call HR instead of threatening municipal demolition. Just a thought.