A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City recently indicted William Clyde Allen, III, of Logan, Utah, on seven counts in connection with ricin-related threats.
While Allen pleaded not guilty, the indictment alleges Allen knowingly used ricin as a weapon, mailed a threat against President Donald Trump, and mailed threatening communications to officers and employees of the United States.
Allen is charged with threatening CIA Director Gina Haspel, Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John M. Richardson, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. Allen’s alleged threat to Trump was a letter that included the sentence “Jack and the Missile Bean Stock Powder” and contained castor bean material.
Ricin occurs naturally and can be extracted from castor bean seeds with no technical expertise. Allen purchased 380 castor beans in December 2017 in eight, separate transactions.
Small doses of ricin are lethal if ingested, inhaled, or injected, and there is no known antidote for ricin poisoning.
Allen was arrested Oct. 5 and was detained after U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead found Allen to be a danger to the community. His trial will begin Dec. 26.
The maximum penalty Allen could face is life in prison.