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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Woman Admits Sending|Poison to the President

TEXARKANA, Texas (CN) - A Texas woman faces up to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to mailing ricin-tainted letters to President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Shannon Guess Richardson, 35, of New Boston, was indicted after her June 7 arrest, charged with threatening the president and mailing threatening letters to Bloomberg and to gun-control advocate Mark Glaze.

At Richardson's plea hearing prosecutors presented evidence that she made online purchases of castor beans and sodium hydroxide, ingredients for ricin, in April and May this year, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.

"Richardson subsequently placed ricin onto threat letters addressed to President Barack Obama, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Mark Glaze," prosecutors said.

"On May 20, 2013, Richardson mailed the three threatening letters from the New Boston, Texas, post office. On May 30, 2013, Richardson traveled to the Shreveport, La. police department and reported that her husband was responsible for the ricin-laced letters."

A striking redhead, Richardson played bit roles in the Sandra Bullock movie "The Blind Side," and the TV show "The Walking Dead."

No sentencing date has been set.

Ricin is one of the most potent poisons known. It is produced in castor oil plant seeds.

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