Most people in West Virginia and around the nation likely heard accounts over several days about suspicious packages that had been mailed to multiple high-profile politicians or other prominent figures. In less than a week after the first package was apprehended, a man in Florida had been arrested in connection with the events.
As reported by National Public Radio, the defendant has to date been charged with a series of federal crimes that could send him to prison for as long as 48 years if he is convicted of all counts as they currently stand. The United States Attorney General is reported as indicating that the ultimate charges to be faced by the man are subject to change. It is not clear if that means additional charges may be added to the case, if there may be changes to deletions to any of the current charges or both.
To date, the defendant is charged with the assault of federal officers, mailing explosive devices illegally and transporting such devices between states. Also part of the series of charges are allegations that the man threatened communications between states and former U.S. presidents and others.
Few details have been given as to what evidence was used to identify the defendant and substantiate placing him under arrest. It is known that he has been arrested in the past, including at one time when he pled guilty to threatening a utility company with a bomb but that was 16 years ago. The reports do not suggest how the man is intending to plead in the current case.
