Highland Heights Man Indicted For Sending Letter To IRS Containing White Powder

A Highland Heights man was indicted after sending a letter containing white powder to the Internal Revenue Service, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.

John T. Buchak, 27, was charged with one count of threatening use of a weapon of mass destruction. Buchak sent a letter via the U.S. Mail to the Internal Revenue Service on March 31, 2014, that contained white powder, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Rice following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.