Just before the grand opening of the new Maverik on Highway 6 in Helper in February, an employee was apprehended in regard to threats of violence that he had allegedly made to his coworkers.
A Helper City officer was dispatched to the new location due to the employee reportedly threatening to shoot his fellow employees, as well as customers that visited the gas station. According to the store director, 28-year-old Jared Nielsen had informed two coworkers that he was going to “sit on the back of the hill behind the Maverik and shoot.”
These employees corroborated this story to the director, who took the threat seriously. At that time, the access of the video surveillance system was unsuccessful due to the corporate office’s email procedure. However, upon speaking with the director and the employees, the Helper City officer apprehended Nielsen when he arrived for his shift.
Nielsen was arrested for the threat of terrorism, which is a third-degree felony, and threats of violence, a class B misdemeanor. On July 11, Nielsen appeared before the Seventh District Court, where he entered a plea following a filed proposed order on affidavit in support of no contest/guilty plea.
In this proposed order, it stated that Nielsen was pleading guilty to the charge of the threat of terrorism. With the plea, Nielsen was given a fine of $750 and will be placed on probation.