Maine Bus Driver Allegedly Stalked, Threatened a NH 8-Year-Old

A Maine man who drives a school bus in New Hampshire is now facing federal charges for allegedly threatening an 8-year-old child.

Who is the Bus Driver?

Michael Chick, 39, of Eliot, Maine drove a school bus for the Greenland Central School in Greenland, New Hampshire. According to the United States District Attorney's Office District of New Hampshire, Chick allegedly threatened a child attending that school and the child's family. Because he traveled from Maine to New Hampshire to make those threats, he's charged with interstate stalking.

What Led Up to the Alleged Threats?

According to WMTW-TV, court documents reveal an alleged history of unwanted attention given by Chick to the boy and his sister. The child's parents complained to the police in April that the bus driver had been giving their son gifts, like candy, toys, and cellphones. The boy said that his sister had told Chick where the family's spare key was hidden after the bus driver told them where to find his spare key. In addition, Chick would allegedly leave notes at the family's home to tell them how much he missed them. The bus driver allegedly gave the boy the cell phones with instructions about what to do with them and told him that if he didn't comply, 'The Team' would get upset. The boy told authorities he was informed that 'The Team' had between 8 and 800 members and that Chick told him they would kidnap and torture him if he didn't do as he was told.

Chick also allegedly told the boy that he had placed trackers on the family's vehicles so he would know when they went to the police. Investigators say they found trackers where Chick claimed to have placed them.

The parents alerted police in May when Chick allegedly invited himself to the boy's little league baseball game. At that time, he was ordered not to have further contact with the child or his family.

Michael Chick is no longer employed by First Student Bus Service.

When Was Michael Chick Arrested?

On Friday, Chick was arrested without incident in his hometown of Eliot. At his initial court appearance, the judge ordered him detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for August 18th.

Police in Maine and New Hampshire contributed to this investigation, as well as the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.