New Boston, Texas – Shannon Guess Richardson, a 35-year-old woman from New Boston, Texas, has pleaded guilty to biological weapons charges in the Eastern District of Texas. Richardson was charged with possession of a toxin for use as a weapon after she mailed threatening letters containing ricin to President Barack Obama, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze.
According to court documents, Richardson made online purchases of castor bean seeds and sodium hydroxide between April and May 2013. She used these materials to produce the lethal substance, which was then placed on threat letters addressed to the aforementioned individuals. Richardson mailed the letters from the New Boston Post Office on May 20, 2013.
The defendant turned herself in to the Shreveport, Louisiana, Police Department on May 30, 2013, and reported that her husband was responsible for the ricin-laced letters. However, she was later arrested and charged with the crime. Richardson faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.
This investigation was conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, and New York City Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Coan, Ryan Locker, Brit Featherston, and Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman.
Richardson was indicted on June 27, 2013, charging her with threatening the President of the United States, mailing a threatening letter to Mayor Bloomberg, and mailing a threatening letter to Mark Glaze. She pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline M. Craven.
The defendant has been detained since her arrest on June 7, 2013, in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The case underscores the serious nature of ricin-related threats and the federal government’s commitment to protecting public safety.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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