Washington: A 41-year-old Mississippi man has pleaded guilty to sending poison-laced threatening letters to US President Barack Obama and other officials.
James Everett Dutschke admitted he sent poisoned letters to Obama, US Senator Roger Wicker and a Mississippi judge.
Dutschke is expected to be sentenced to 25 years in prison as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Police initially arrested a local Elvis impersonator in the case but later determined Dutschke had framed him.
In the plea agreement, Dutschke agreed to serve a 300-month prison sentence, the Justice Department said on Friday. His sentenced is scheduled in about 60 days.
According to court documents, Dutschke developed a scheme to frame another individual by mailing threatening letters.
As part of the scheme, he used the Internet to research how to produce and use ricin.
Ricin is a naturally occurring protein found in the castor oil plant that is highly toxic. It is 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide.
He purchased castor beans or seeds, a key ingredient for the manufacture and production of ricin, from vendors via eBay and PayPal, federal agents said. He then produced ricin for use as a weapon, drafted the letters and mailed them using the US Mail system. (Reuters)
