(AP) A Shenandoah man charged with robbing a West Mahanoy Township bank last month waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning.

Larry R. Dettery, 38, of 34 W. Penn St., was arrested by township Police Chief Marvin Livergood and charged with the heist at Miners Bank, 504 S. Lehigh Ave., just after it opened for business May 26.Dettery was scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, on charges of one felony count each of robbery, robbery of a financial institution, threats to use weapons of mass destruction and terroristic threats; one misdemeanor count each of terroristic threats, theft, receiving stolen property, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia; and a summary offense of scattering rubbish.After conferring with his attorney, Chief Public Defender Michael Stine, Dettery chose to waive the hearing and instead answer to the charges in Schuylkill County Court.Dettery was then taken back to prison, where he is being held on $75,000 straight cash bail set by Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont, at the time of his arraignment.Livergood charged Dettery with entering the bank about 9 a.m., placing a package on the counter and handing a note to a teller saying the package was bomb and to hurry.Livergood said the teller handed Dettery an undetermined amount of cash and he then fled the area on foot.A state police explosive ordnance disposal team was called, rendered the package safe and determined it contained batteries, wires and a white powdery substance.Livergood said a hazardous materials team was the called to evaluate the powdery substance and determined it to be a form of potassium that can be used in the construction of an explosive device.As officers searched for Dettery, they found a pair of glasses in a wooded area along with a hooded sweatshirt and a cellphone.Livergood said authorities used that cellphone to obtain Dettery’s name and photograph and a subsequent check revealed that he lived at 34 W. Penn St., Shenandoah.At that home, Livergood said, Dettery initially fled out the back door but was quickly taken into custody and a subsequent search found him with items of drug paraphernalia.Dettery was taken to the Shenandoah police station where he was interviewed by Shenandoah Police Chief George Carado and admitted to constructing the explosive device, entering the bank, placing the device on the counter and sliding the note to the teller, Livergood said.