Pascale Ferrier, a 56-year-old Canadian woman, has been sentenced to 22 years in a US prison for mailing letters containing deadly ricin poison. The letters, including one addressed to former President Donald Trump, prompted concerns over bioterrorism.
Ferrier had agreed to the sentence in January after pleading guilty to charges related to biological weapons. The envelope containing ricin and addressed to Mr. Trump was intercepted in September 2020 before reaching the White House.
During the court proceedings, Ferrier expressed regret that her plan failed and conveyed her inability to deter Trump. In a lengthy statement, she emphasized seeing herself as an activist rather than a terrorist, with a preference for peaceful means to achieve her goals.
The FBI identified Ferrier’s fingerprints on the letter sent to Mr. Trump, which contained a message urging him to withdraw from the presidential race.
District Judge Dabney Friedrich handed down a 262-month prison term, nearly equating to 22 years, while also stipulating that Ferrier would face deportation from the US after completing her sentence. Additionally, she would be under lifetime supervision if she ever returned to the country.
Judge Friedrich characterized Ferrier’s actions as “potentially deadly” and harmful to individuals, society, and potential victims. The Canadian woman admitted to sending similarly tainted letters to eight Texas law enforcement officials, attributing her grievance to a previous detention experience in the state.
Ferrier, a dual citizen of France and Canada, was arrested in September 2020 while crossing the border into Buffalo, New York. At the time of her arrest, she was found carrying a gun, a knife, and ammunition rounds.
Investigations revealed that Ferrier produced the ricin poison at her Quebec residence and placed it within an envelope along with the letter. Ricin is derived from waste materials of castor bean processing and has no known antidote. Depending on the dose, it can result in death within 36 to 72 hours, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This case echoes a previous incident in 2014 when a Mississippi man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and other officials.
