Federal Bureau of Investigation - The Sacramento = Division: Department of Justice Press Release

From: "Saved by Windows Internet Explorer 8" Subject: Federal Bureau of Investigation - The Sacramento Division: Department of Justice Press Release Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:53:16 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01CAE885.A16B7930" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6002.18005 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01CAE885.A16B7930 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://sacramento.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/sc042610.htm Federal Bureau of Investigation - The Sacramento = Division: Department of Justice Press Release

Sacramento=20 Home
Contact=20 Us
Territory/Jurisdictio= n
About=20 Us
=95 Our=20 People & Capabilities
=95 What=20 We Investigate
=95 Our=20 Partnerships
=95 Sacramento=20 History
Press=20 Room
Wanted=20 by the FBI - Sacramento
In Your=20 Community
FBI=20 Jobs
Main FBI=20 Website
Search FBI=20 = Website

Department of Justice Press=20 Release


For Immediate = Release April 26, 2010	United States = Attorney's Office Eastern District of=20 California Contact: (916) 554-2700 =
Sacramento=20 Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Sending = Anthrax=20 Hoax Letters SACRAMENTO=97United States Attorney Benjamin = B. Wagner=20 announced that Marc M. Keyser, 66, of = Sacramento, was=20 sentenced today to 51 months in prison, to be = followed=20 by three years of supervised release, by U.S. = District=20 Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. in Sacramento. = Calling him a=20 danger to the community, Judge Damrell ordered = Keyser=20 remanded into custody to commence serving his = prison=20 sentence. A further hearing is set to determine = the=20 restitution owed by Keyser for the costs of = responding=20 to the hoax letter. Keyser was convicted by a jury on September = 17, 2009=20 of three counts of committing an anthrax hoax = and two=20 counts of mailing threatening communications. = The case=20 was investigated by the FBI=92s Joint Terrorism = Task Force=20 and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and = prosecuted by=20 U.S. Attorney Wagner and Assistant U.S. Attorney = Jean=20 Hobler. Evidence presented at trial established that = in=20 January 2007, Keyser mailed a package to the=20 Sacramento News & Review, promoting = a book=20 that he had written about potential anthrax = attacks in=20 the United States by terrorists. The package = included a=20 copy of the book on CD, a note offering to = discuss=20 publication of excerpts of the book, and a = cylindrical=20 aerosol canister labeled =93Anthrax.=94 The = mailing resulted=20 in the evacuation of the building and a full law = enforcement and hazmat response. An = investigating FBI=20 special agent interviewed Keyser at that time, = informed=20 him of the consequences of the mailing, and = specifically=20 admonished him that he risked prosecution under = the hoax=20 mailings statute if he sent any similar mailings = in the=20 future. According to court documents, including = Keyser=92s own=20 testimony at trial, in late October 2008 Keyser = mailed=20 over 100 packages that contained a CD with = excerpts of a=20 new book on terrorism that was labeled in large = print=20 =93Anthrax Shock and Awe Terror=94 and a small = sugar packet=20 that had been re-labeled with a bio-hazard = symbol and=20 the words =93Anthrax sample.=94 Most of the = packages had no=20 information indicating that the CD contained a = book. The=20 mailings were sent to various newspapers and = other media=20 companies, officials, and retail outlets = nationwide,=20 causing police, fire, and hazmat teams to = respond to=20 emergency calls in many states. The counts on which Keyser was convicted = relate to a=20 mailing received by Congressman George = Radanovich=92s=20 office in Modesto, California and mailings = received at=20 McDonald=92s and Starbucks restaurants in = Sacramento. An=20 employee of Congressman Radanovich=92s office = testified=20 during the trial that following receipt of = Keyser=92s=20 mailing, police, fire department, and hazmat = personnel=20 responded to the scene, and two employees were=20 transported to the hospital for medical = screening. Keyser stated to investigating agents that he = intended the mailings to be =93provocative=94 = and that he=20 hoped the controversy and =93buzz=94 generated = by news=20 reports about the mailings would heighten = awareness of=20 anthrax vulnerability and spur sales of his = book. The=20 jury acquitted Keyser on eight other counts in = the=20 indictment. In sentencing Keyser, Judge Damrell told = Keyser that=20 =93you want attention more than anything, you = crave it.=20 The attention you get is more important than the = effect=20 you have on others.=94 U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner stated, = =93Hoaxes like=20 these hurt our national security, draining = critical=20 resources from investigation of and preparation = for real=20 threats against our homeland. Today=92s sentence = sends a=20 strong message to anyone considering imitating = Mr.=20 Keyser=92s fake anthrax packages=97there are = real=20 consequences for those who behave like = terrorists.=94 Parole has been abolished in the federal = system, and=20 Keyser will be required to serve at least 85 = percent of=20 the prison time imposed today. Press=20 Releases \| Sacramento=20 Home