Livingston, Illinois Man Charged for Mailing a Threatening Communication and Making a False Threat

On February 24, 2011, Gary James Smith, age 67, of Livingston, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis, Illinois. in a two-count indictment charging him, in count one, with mailing a threatening communication, and, in count two, with making a false threat, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The alleged violations took place on June 19, 2010, in Madison County, Illinois. The arraignment was held on March 11, 2011.

According to the court documents, Smith mailed an envelope to a family in his town containing a white granular substance and a letter stating that their hands were on fire, they had been infected with a disease, and they should report to the hospital immediately. Trial has been set for May 10, 2011. If convicted of mailing a threatening communication, Smith faces a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of three years. If convicted of making a false threat, Smith faces a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of three years.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspector, and the Illinois State Police. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Liam Coonan for prosecution.