12 March 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida;
and Michael S. Clemens, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
announced today that defendant, Kenneth R. West, a/k/a Cristian Noel Iglesias,
pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Donald L. Graham, in
Miami, Florida, to the charge of threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction
(Anthrax) against persons in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London,
England, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2332a(b). West
faces a statutory maximum term of life imprisonment. West’s sentencing hearing is
scheduled for May 20, 2005.
According to evidence proffered by the government at West’s plea hearing, West, on
July 22, 2002, while incarcerated in the Federal Detention Center in Miami,
Florida, mailed a letter addressed to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in
London, England, the British counterpart of the United States Department of State.
The letter contained death threats and a powdery substance represented to be
Anthrax. The receipt of the letter in London caused significant disruption at the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, portions of which were which were evacuated, and
to areas surrounding the building due to emergency response measures. The letter
was linked to West through DNA testing and fingerprint analysis, as well as other
scientific tests.
Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Anti Terrorist Branch at New
Scotland Yard. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney
William White and Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the Counterterroisn Section
of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States
Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls
. Related court documents and information may be
found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at
www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on
.
