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Press Release

U.S. Citizen Residing in Mexico Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Communications Containing a White Powdery Substance

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida

John Milton Nagel, 47, pled guilty to three counts of mailing threatening communications from a foreign country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 877.  At sentencing, Nagel faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on each count.  Sentencing has been scheduled for May 26, 2016 at 2 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. 

According to court documents, between September 1, 2015 and September 18, 2015, Nagel entered the Mexico City main post office located at Palacio Postal, Avenida Tacuba No. 1, Centro Historico, Delegacion Cuachtemoc, 06002 Mexico City, Mexico, and knowingly deposited for mailing thirty-seven (37) envelopes all addressed to prominent United States political figures and business leaders, each containing a threatening letter and a white powdery substance.  A sample of the powder, removed from within the suspect letters, was thereafter sent to both Mexican and U.S. laboratories for analysis and ultimately revealed that the contents were bicarbonate.                                                      

The first page of each letter read “FREE SAMPLE OF EXECUTIVE TOOTH POWDER - ACTIVATES WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.  DO NOT SWALLOW!  H2O2 MAY BE POISONOUS IF SWALLOWED DON'T PANIC, EVACUATE OR CALL 911…or there will be consequences...Mathew 13:49.”  According to the King James version of the Bible, Matthew 13:49 states: “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.” 

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marc S. Anton and Ricardo A. Del Toro.

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 http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Updated March 29, 2016