Man admits to making false bomb threat at Crystal Lake library; earlier pleaded guilty to Kane County threat

A man has admitted in court that he falsely reporting there was a bomb in the Crystal Lake Public Library, for which he was sentenced to two years of special probation.

In exchange for his guilty plea to one count of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony, an additional count against Jacob N. Spiro, 24, was dismissed, according to the court order filed in McHenry County court. Spiro, of Skokie, also was ordered to pay more than $1,600 in fines and fees, and to have no contact with the library, court records show.

After learning of Spiro’s plea deal, Becky Fyolek, executive director of the library, said that when the library received the bomb threats, it was “very upsetting for patrons and staff.”

“The library is an open, welcoming, and safe place for the community to gather. The threats took that sense of safety from the community and forced the library to close to allow a thorough search of the building,” she said. “We are grateful to our Crystal Lake Police Department for their support and hard work to keep the library and the community safe.”

On Sept. 14, 2023, the library received a message through the library’s chat platform claiming there was a bomb inside the building, Crystal Lake police said in a news release at the time.

The library was evacuated and closed early due to the threat. Regular activity resumed the next day.

The Crystal Lake Public Library also received a bomb threat in a July 2023 phone call that was determined by police to be “unfounded.” When it occurred, police and a specialized canine searched the library and the surrounding area. After nothing was found, police determined the threat was not credible, police said. McHenry County court does not show an additional charge for that incident.

Authorities have said it was suspected that Spiro could have been connected to multiple “swatting” calls throughout Chicago suburbs. He was charged in Kane County in 2023 for allegedly making similar threats to a grocery store in Des Plaines and at Aurora library branches. Online Kane County court records show Spiro later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in the Aurora case and was sentenced to community service and two years of probation, on which he remains.

An attempt to reach his attorney was not successful.