A French-Canadian woman faces more than 20 years in prison for sending a threatening letter containing the deadly poison ricin to then-US President Donald Trump.
According to the US Department of Justice, 55-year-old Pascale Ferrier pleaded guilty in a court in Washington on Wednesday to having addressed letters containing ricin to the White House and police officials in the state of Texas.
The sentence is to be announced on April 26th.
If the trial judge approves an agreement between Ferrier and prosecutors, the defendant would be sentenced to 262 months in prison for violating bioweapons law.
That's almost 22 years in prison.
Letter sent from Canada
The woman sent a letter to Trump from Canada in September 2020 containing homemade ricin, urging the president to withdraw his bid for the presidential election the following November.
"I have a new name for you 'The Ugly Tyrant Clown' I hope you like it," she wrote.
If the ricin doesn't work, "I'll find a better formula for another poison, or I might use my weapon when I'm able to come."
Enjoy it!"
Caught with a gun at the border crossing
At the same time, she tweeted that someone should "shoot Trump in the face."
She then attempted to drive to the United States from Canada.
Border officials found a loaded gun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition on her and arrested the woman.
Ferrier had already spent around ten weeks in prison in Texas in 2019 for gun possession.
According to the US judiciary, she blamed Texas police representatives for this and therefore also sent them letters with ricin.
Ultimately, no one was harmed by the poison.
Ricin is obtained from the seeds of the miracle tree (Ricinus communis) and is highly toxic.