Branden Frady, Anthrax Hoax, Tennessee 2012
A former inmate at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institute in Nashville has been charged with sending threatening letters containing white powder to state and local officials, including the Governor of Tennessee, the Secretary of State, and a District Attorney General. The letters claimed to contain Anthrax and made explicit death threats against the officials.
According to the indictment, between September 10, 2012, and September 18, 2012, 32-year-old Branden Frady, of Johnson City, Tennessee, prepared and sent six threatening letters to the officials. Four of the letters contained white powder that Frady claimed was Anthrax. The letters also made explicit death threats against the officials.
The indictment alleges that Frady sent a letter from prison to the Office of the District Attorney General in Nashville, that arrived on September 11, 2012, and contained a white powder substance. In the letter, Frady wrote, "here is some Anthrax," "you got to die," and "I will kill you." In response to this letter, local law enforcement officers and firefighters responded to the scene, evacuated the offices of the Nashville District Attorney General, and closed nearby buildings.
It is also alleged in the indictment that letters Frady sent to the Office of Governor Bill Haslam, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, and the U.S. Post Office contained similar threats. For example, after sending a letter to the Governor that contained threats but without white powder, Frady sent a second letter to the Governor stating, "This time I am sending you some Anthrax," and "you will die." This letter did contain a white powder.
U.S. Attorney Jerry E. Martin said, "Threats involving the use of weapons of mass destruction cause significant disruption in the workplace and to government operations. Such threats often exhaust public safety resources and cause needless harm to the public. For those who choose to engage in such conduct, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will act swiftly to neutralize the threat, identify those responsible and bring them to justice."
Frady faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count if convicted. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Tennessee Department of Correction, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Little is representing the government.
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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