Police seek Chicago man they say threatened to ‘blow up’ Pioneer Center building in McHenry

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Chicago man accused of threatening to blow up a building used by the Pioneer Center for Human Services in McHenry, according to court records.

Gregory Hubbs, 37, of the 2200 block of West Division Street, is charged with disorderly conduct in the form of a false bomb threat or deadly substance threat, a Class 3 felony, according to the criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.

A Class 3 felony is punishable by probation or up to five years in prison. A prison sentence also can be up to 10 years if eligible for an extended term.

Police said that on or about the afternoon of June 15, Hubbs “knowingly and unlawfully transmitted a threat to the McHenry Pioneer Center, a false alarm that on [June 17] he would blow up a Pioneer Center building, where its explosion ... would endanger human life, knowing at the time of such transmission that there were no reasonable grounds to believe that such a bomb was concealed at a Pioneer Center facility,” according to the complaint.

The Pioneer Center is a private, nonprofit organization providing programs for individuals with developmental disabilities, behavioral health challenges and homeless shelter needs throughout McHenry County, according to the agency’s website. The organization has been providing services for more than 65 years.

The organization helps clients “live dignified lives of well-being, independence and inclusion. Their growth, health and safety are foremost in every decision we make. Each client is treated with the utmost respect and dignity at all times,” according to the website.

Pioneer Center CEO Frank Samuel said Hubbs had stayed at a Pioneer-run shelter “some time ago,” but Samuel could not comment on why Hubbs might have made a threat.

“Safety is always the No. 1 priority,” Samuel said, noting that when the threat was made, authorities were contacted quickly.