Suzanne Muscara, a 37-year-old woman from Maine, was arrested and charged on Friday, April 5, for allegedly sending a threatening, ricin-coated letter to Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
According to federal authorities, Muscara sent a “threatening” letter to the home of Senator Collins that Muscara claimed was coated with ricin on October 15, 2018.
While the envelope of the threatening letter was “leaking a fine white powder”, investigators later determined that that the letter did not contain ricin or any other toxic material.
As she was being interviewed by authorities, Muscara allegedly admitted to sending the powder to the home of Susan Collins.
“Muscara told us that she thought the letter would be intercepted by law enforcement before it reached Senator Collins and did not believe the note would be taken seriously,” the arrest affidavit stated.
Muscara now faces one count of mailing a threatening communication. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Muscara was scheduled to make her first appearance in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine, at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April April 8.
In a statement from Annie Clark, a spokesperson for Susan Collins, the Republican Senator said that she and her wife Thomas Daffron “greatly appreciate” the response from law enforcement.
“Sen. Collins and Mr. Daffron greatly appreciate the extraordinary efforts made by state and federal law enforcement agencies which culminated in an arrest in this case,” the statement read.
Ricin, a fatal poison, was made famous in the award-winning AMC drama series Breaking Bad, as Walter White, the show’s main protagonist, occasionally used the substance to kill his enemies.
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