A man pleaded guilty last week to calling in a false threat that led to the shutdown of the Ford Assembly Plant in Claycomo in July 2023, according to court documents.

Zachariah A. Peterson, a 21-year-old from Independence , pleaded guilty in Clay County Circuit Court to one count of making a terrorist threat. Prosecutors alleged he made the threat so an acquaintance could have the night off work.

In his plea, Peterson admitted to telling the plant that a person was armed with firearms and explosives inside the plant , according to court documents.

Prosecutors will recommend that Peterson, who was 19 at the time, be sentenced to four years in a Missouri prison, according to the terms of the plea agreement.

A sentencing hearing was set for 3 p.m. September 3.

Peterson’s plea comes

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