ALBANY COUNTY — A portion of the New York State Thruway near the Guilderland Travel Plaza was shut down last Wednesday morning as State Police investigated a bomb threat.

A Maine man made two threats against the Guilderland plaza after yelling at restaurant staff there between 9 and 10 a.m. prompting State Police to close the plaza and begin investigating, according to police. The plaza is located between exits 24 and 25 on the Thruway.

During the investigation, it was discovered that he also threatened the Canaan Toll Booth on the Thruway Berkshire Spur, according to a State Police release.

Derek Schultz, 30, of 33 Tucker Rd., Limington, Maine, was arrested on three counts of first-degree falsely reporting an incident, and unlawfully dealing with fireworks after fireworks were found in his vehicle.

He is being charged in both the Guilderland Town Court and the Canaan Town Court (Columbia County), according to the release. He was arraigned in Guilderland Town Court on two counts of falsely reporting an incident and remanded to Albany County’s jail with no bail. He will face additional charges in Canaan Town Court.

The New York State Thruway Authority declined comment to The Enterprise, but State Police confirmed last Wednesday that they had shut down the Thruway for a "short period of time" in order to investigate the incident.
According to the police investigation, Schultz became "verbally abusive with McDonald’s staff and left the restaurant in an agitated state."

No one was hurt during the incident and the closed areas were re-opened after booths and buildings were checked by police and declared safe.