NORFOLK, Va. – In a shocking turn of events, Debbie Siers-Hill, a 63-year-old woman from Summerville, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to possessing ricin, a highly dangerous toxin.
According to court documents, Virginia Beach police officers executing a search warrant in March 2016 found a number of chemicals, packages of castor beans, and multiple firearms, one with an obliterated serial number, in a storage unit rented by Siers-Hill, who was then living in Virginia Beach.
Tests of the chemicals showed that a syringe and a double-wrapped container found in the storage unit held ricin, a toxin derived from castor beans with no known antidote.
Siers-Hill pleaded guilty to possessing ricin, a listed ‘select agent’ subject to Department of Health and Human Services registration requirements with which she did not comply.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on January 14, 2019. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan M. Salsbury and Andrew C. Bosse are prosecuting the case, which has sent shockwaves throughout the community.
Defendant/Respondent REAL full name: Debbie Siers-Hill
Exact criminal charges: Unregistered possession of ricin
City and state: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Exact date: March 2016
Sentence or outcome: Faces up to 5 years in prison
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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