One day after advertising devices alarmed Boston authorities enough that they shut down parts of the city, two men accused of perpetrating a hoax plead not guilty to the charges. At a press conference held after their court appearance, Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, seemed amused.
The 1-foot-tall signs that raised the alert, we now know, were part of an advertising campaign for a Cartoon Network show. But their placement on bridges and other high-profile spots, along with their lighted circuit boards with wires and batteries, sparked fears of terrorism.
Boston's mayor says the stunt cost police more than $750,000 --and he's prepared to take legal action against Turner Broadcasting, which owns Cartoon Network, to get the money back.
The two men charged with putting up the devices in Boston were arraigned and released on bond after spending the night in jail.
Then they spoke to reporters outside of the courthouse, after setting some rather strange ground rules: They would only answer questions about "hair cuts and the '70s," they said.
The journalists present were not amused.
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