Meet The Doctor Behind Scare At Limbaugh Manse

MARCH 2--The bomb scare yesterday at Rush Limbaugh’s Florida mansion was triggered by an emergency room doctor from Pennsylvania who mailed the radio host a wooden plaque outfitted with a digital photo display, a gift that prompted Limbaugh to call in law enforcement, which grew to include cops, bomb squad technicians, fire rescue workers, and even a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Palm Beach Police Department reports reveal that Dr. Eric Brader, 54, mailed the  package to Limbaugh at a post office box. After the parcel was brought back to Limbaugh’s residence and run through an X-ray machine--standard policy for such mail--a  Limbaugh property manager “observed what he believed to be some type of electrical/computer device, wiring, and possibly a cell phone.”

After consulting with Limbaugh and the radio star’s security chief, the property manager called police.

After closing down streets in Limbaugh’s neighborhood, investigators contacted Brader, who confirmed sending the package. He explained that the package held a “custom made plaque fitted with a laser engraved photo and an electronic picture frame.” The item, Brader explained, was a $200 prototype of the “John Wilkes Booth Memorial Award,” which he wanted to give Limbaugh “in an attempt to receive his endorsement and get potential revenue off of sales and use of said endorsement.”

Brader, cops noted, “appeared apologetic for causing this incident and expressed his embarrassment for causing law enforcement to intervene.”

To confirm Brader’s story, investigators X-rayed the package and determined it contained no explosive material (the police X-ray can be seen below). The package was then sliced open and its contents were turned over to a Limbaugh representative.

Brader, who did not return a TSG phone message, works at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. According to his LinkedIn page, Brader also creates “intellectual property primarily conceiving and designing resuscitation devices and medical ultrasound.”

While Brader told police that he is seeking a trademark for the “John Wilkes Booth Memorial Award,” U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records reflect that his application was recently “abandoned.” (4 pages)