SYMMES TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- An April Fool's Day prank set off a hazmat scare, shut down more than 10 businesses and got a man arrested, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said.

Steven Moss, 49, of Florence, allegedly went to his office building and posted signs falsely warning about a mercury spill.

He told detectives he did it as an April Fool's Day prank, the sheriff's office said.

Here's what happened, according to the sheriff's office:

Deputies were called to a building at 8790 Governors Hill Drive at 7:43 a.m. and found signs and hazard tape at each entrance.

They called the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department, and the Fire Commander notified the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

An OEPA investigator did a sweep of the building and found no contamination.

While the sweep was under way, Moss approached sheriff's detectives and fessed up, the sheriff's office said.

Businesses were shut down until about 10:30 a.m.

Moss was charged with one count of inducing panic.

Moss will be required to reimburse OEPA and the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department for the cost of responding to the prank, the sheriff's office said.