The man sent letters and emails to 34 public officials and members of law enforcement, the authorities said. Some letters contained a white powder and at least one had a bullet.
An Ohio man who over the past 10 months sent dozens of threatening messages to 34 people, including politicians and members of law enforcement, is facing criminal charges of cyberstalking and making threats, federal prosecutors said on Friday.
The man, Ronald Lidderdale, sent 65 letters and emails, including some in which he said that he would send the recipients bullets with their names on them or said that he was prepared to kill them.
Mr. Lidderdale, 39, who was described by officials as being from central Ohio, was arrested on Friday and appeared in federal court to face charges of making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking.
He admitted to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents this week that he sent the letters and emails intending to incite fear “with the goal of changing behavior,” prosecutors said.
Some of the letters he sent contained a white powder that he claimed in writing was the lethal poison ricin, prosecutors said. The authorities did not say what the powder was.
At least one of his letters was sent with a bullet with the last name of a public official etched onto it using a screwdriver.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
