Bomb threats made at 4 Ohio stores; FBI says they appear related to threats earlier this week

CLEVELAND (AP) — Four more bomb threats forced evacuations at stores in northeast Ohio early Friday, adding to a series of similar threats across the country this week, the FBI said.

The latest threats were phoned in to a Wal-Mart in Mentor and Giant Eagle grocery stores in Mentor, Mentor-on-the-Lake and Green, authorities said. The stores were temporarily evacuated, but each reopened within three hours after police searches turned up nothing.

"We believe these are all tied into the same individual or group of individuals that are doing this all over the United States," FBI special agent Scott Wilson said.

The FBI and police said Wednesday they were investigating bomb threats at more than 15 stores in at least 11 states. The majority of the calls involve an extortion attempt, and the threats appear to be coming from overseas, Wilson said.

"We have some strong investigative leads," he said.