Former Livingston Man Pleads Guilty to Charges of Mailing a Threatening Communication and Making a False Threat

On April 22, 2011, Gary James Smith, age 67, formerly of Livingston, pled guilty before the federal district court in East St. Louis, Ill. to 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.

According to court documents, Smith mailed an envelope to a family in his town containing a white granular substance purporting to be anthrax 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. Smith used food ingredients to mimic the anthrax. Sentencing is set for August 8, 2011. 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 tThreat, Smith faces a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of three years.

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.