By David Rasbach

The Bellingham Herald

A 41-year-old Maple Falls man reportedly seen cutting power lines and damaging meter boxes told sheriff’s deputies he was doing so as instructed by Ariana Grande to prevent Russian KGB agents from poisoning the U.S. with nuclear toxins.

Deputies booked Greg Alvin Botteron into Whatcom County Jail in Bellingham, Washington, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, on suspicion of first-degree malicious mischief.

Jail records show he was released on personal recognizance Wednesday.

Deputies responded at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday to the 7900 block of Santa Fe Trail after witnesses reported that a man named “Greg” had cut power lines and meter box wiring to a residence, according to the probable cause statement provided to The Bellingham Herald by Chief Deputy Kevin Hester.

Botteron then allegedly cut power lines from a power pole and inside a power meter box in the 6400 block of Santa Fe Trail. That is where deputies found him, still cutting lines, the statement said.

Botteron told deputies that he worked for the U.S. government and that he was disabling the boxes to prevent Russian KGB agents from poisoning the U.S. with nuclear toxins transferred through the power lines, the statement said.

He also reportedly said Grammy Award-winning recording artist Ariana Grande told him to do it and that he worked with the U.S. military.

Puget Sound Energy had to respond to repair exposed power lines that created a safety hazard, the statement said, and the estimated damage was more than $5,000 for just the second location.

PSE spokesperson Janet Kim told The Herald there were no reported outages as a result of the incident.

Tuesday’s arrest was Botteron’s second in eight days, as he was booked Aug. 12 on suspicion of second-degree burglary and third-degree theft, Whatcom County Superior Court records show.

In that incident, documents state that Botteron broke into a shed in the 7800 block of Santa Fe Trail, removed several boxes and placed them along the roadway. Botteron said he did so because the KGB had stolen the property and he was just returning it to the rightful owners.