Kimball man remains jailed on courthouse bomb threat

HURLEY — Bond was continued at $10,000 cash Monday in Iron County Court for a Kimball, Wis., resident who’s alleged to have threatened to blow up the courthouse.

Robert (Barrel Bob) Gollubske, 75, appeared for his continued initial appearance with attorney Peter Bear, who asked that a signature bond be set.

Gollubske is charged with a felony bomb threat.

Bear said Gollubske has lived in Iron County for 18 years and he doesn’t pose a flight risk and is not a public safety threat, since all of his guns have been removed from his residence.

Bear said Gollubske regrets his statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and understands the seriousness of his actions.

“He’s going nowhere and will threaten no one,” Bear said.

But Iron County Judge Patrick Madden said, “The (threatening) words are out there and in people’s minds.” He said the public doesn’t feel safe and the case has caused “a public furor.”

Last week, Gollubske told the court he made the threat on May 8 to blow up the courthouse to get FBI agents out to his property on Kimball Drive to show them alleged damages the nearby Mathy Construction Northwoods Paving blacktop plant had caused there.

Gollubske told the court Monday he spoke out of “...just plain ignorance.” He said he would take back the remarks if he could. “I don’t want to hurt anybody,” he added.

Gollubske was arrested on a road in Kimball after a traffic stop by sheriff’s department Lt. Paul Samardich.

Bear argued for the signature bond so Gollubske could return to his farm with his wife and tend to his animals. Bear said his client would even be willing to have a higher bail set, if it was changed to a signature bond that would grant immediate release from jail.

Bear questioned why Gollubske wasn’t arrested until five days after the May 8 threats.

Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske said law enforcement officers didn’t go to Gollubske’s house and attempt to serve the arrest warrant because they knew he possessed many firearms on the property. Lipske said the annual opening of the blacktop plant seems to serve as “a trigger point” for the defendant’s frustrations.

Gollubske waived his right to a preliminary examination within 10 days and was remanded to the Iron County Jail, pending a future court date.

There were five law enforcement officers in the courtroom during Gollubske’s Monday morning hearing.