Ricin Letters Earn Texas Woman 18 Years

TEXARKANA, Texas – A New Boston, Texas woman is headed to federal prison for nearly two decades after pleading guilty to possessing a deadly toxin for use as a weapon. Shannon Guess Richardson, 35, received a sentence of 216 months – 18 years – today in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney John M. Bales and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin.

The case unfolded after Richardson mailed threatening letters laced with ricin in May 2013 to three high-profile targets: President Barack Obama, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze in Washington, D.C. Richardson initially attempted to pin the blame on her husband, reporting to Shreveport, Louisiana police that he was responsible for the poisonous correspondence. She was arrested June 7, 2013, in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and has remained in custody ever since.

Federal investigators quickly traced the materials used to create the ricin – a highly lethal toxin with no known antidote – back to online purchases made by Richardson between April and May 2013. The shopping list included castor bean seeds and sodium hydroxide (lye), the key ingredients for producing the deadly substance. She then used these ingredients to contaminate the letters, mailing them from the New Boston, Texas Post Office. The letters triggered a significant security scare and prompted extensive testing procedures.

Richardson initially faced charges of threatening the President, mailing threatening letters to Bloomberg and Glaze, and, crucially, possession of a biological toxin as a weapon. She ultimately pleaded guilty to the latter charge on December 10, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline M. Craven. The indictment stemmed from a federal grand jury investigation in June 2013.

U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider ordered Richardson to pay restitution totaling $367,222.29 in addition to the lengthy prison sentence. “Today’s sentencing brings an appropriate and just end to what is surely one of our most unusual, even bizarre cases,” stated U.S. Attorney Bales. He praised the collaborative effort of multiple law enforcement agencies, noting the “amazingly resourceful, determined and focused” work of East Texas officers.

The investigation involved the FBI, Secret Service, Postal Inspection Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, New Boston Police Department, Shreveport Police Department, and the NYPD. The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Coan, Ryan Locker, and Brit Featherston, alongside Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. This case serves as a stark reminder that attempts to weaponize biological toxins will be met with a swift and severe response from federal authorities.