ALFRED — The man police identified as the instigator behind a bomb threat that disrupted court hearings and county business at York County Court House Feb. 10 pleaded not guilty at an arraignment late last week and remains incarcerated at York County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.

Gilbert Perez, 30, whom law enforcement authorities say paid another man with heroin to call in the bomb threat, entered his plea to felony terrorizing on Friday, June 6, according to information on file at York County Court House.

He was indicted by a York County grand jury on the charge June 3.

Perez is currently serving time on an aggravated assault conviction stemming from the brutal beating of a Berwick man in a Lebanon bar two years ago. Sentenced earlier this year, he is set to be released June 26. But unless his bail is significantly amended in connection with the terrorizing charge in a hearing set for June 20, that is unlikely to happen.

The person who phoned in the threat, Bert Stroud, 26, of Saco, pleaded guilty to felony terrorizing March 21. Free on bail, he is scheduled for sentencing July 9, a court clerk said Friday.

The bomb threat was phoned in to the Gray Dispatch Center at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, Chief Deputy Bill King said at a news conference on the courthouse steps last week. The caller claimed a bomb had been placed in the Alfred courthouse

The courthouse was evacuated, court was canceled and county services were disrupted. County workers returned to the courthouse at 12:30 p.m. after bomb-sniffing dogs searched the building and no bomb was found.

Police said Perez was the instigator. He was due to be sentenced that day ”“ and to be immediately placed in custody in connection with his guilty plea for aggravated assault. Police allege he convinced Stroud to make the call and provided the man with heroin.

At the news conference, Sheriff Maurice Ouellette said that Perez wanted to go to New York on the day he was to be sentenced. He was sentenced 10 days later, on Feb. 20.

King said Stroud and Perez were identified after an investigation led by Detective Bill Vachon of the sheriff’s office. He said numerous interviews were conducted, cellular technology was analyzed and surveillance videos reviewed.

Ouellette said the threat on the courthouse, which was built in 1806 and is one of the oldest courthouse’s in Maine, “was a high priority” for his office.

It is estimated the closure of the court and county offices and the manpower involved to solve the case cost taxpayers $25,000.

Because the York County District Attorney’s Office was directly affected by the bomb threat, the Maine Office of the Attorney General will prosecute the case.

Maine State Police and York County Sheriff’s deputies arrived quickly at the scene. The threat caused Maine’s judicial marshals, who are in charge of court security to order the building, parking lot and some surrounding areas to be evacuated. Bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to search the vast court building.

A felony charge of terrorizing that causes an evacuation is a Class C crime. The maximum prison penalty upon conviction is five years.

* An earlier version of this story contained an error; this version reflects the correction. Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected]. Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].