Woman Accused Of Sending Ricin To Trump To Remain In Custody, Face Trial In Washington

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2020) The Canadian woman suspected of sending a ricin-laced letter to US President Donald Trump will remain in custody until she is transferred to the District of Columbia to stand trial, a US Magistrate Judge said in a ruling.

The defendant, Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, entered on a not guilty plea during the hearing in Buffalo, New York on Monday.

The Canadian National Microbiology Laboratory confirmed ricin found during a search in Ferrier's apartment, according to Timothy Lynch of the US Attorney's Office in Buffalo.

The 53-year-old dual national was deemed to be an ongoing threat to Trump and the general public, US Magistrate Judge Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. said in his decision. The judge also agreed with Lynch's assessment that Ferrier is a flight risk citing her possession of a French passport, at least two fraudulent Texas drivers' licenses, as well as the complications an extradition process could entail should Ferrier choose to flee.

The defense argued that Ferrier's education, work history and ties to her community in the Montreal suburb of Laval preclude the threat of further crimes and flight.

Making threats against the US president carries a fine and potential prison term of up to five years.

Lynch said there are likely going to be additional charges from the state of Texas, where Ferrier mailed six analogous letters to employees of penitentiaries and detention centers and New York, where she was initially arrested.

Ferrier was detained at the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, earlier this month. According to the US attorney, the Quebec resident was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm, a knife, 294 rounds of ammunition and a bulletproof vest at the time of arrest.

Ferrier waived her right to an identity hearing.

The dual French-Canadian national will now await transfer to the District of Columbia. The next court date has not been set. The defense asked that the transfer be made within ten days. Schroeder, however, said that timelines are fluid due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In her letters, Ferrier called Trump an "ugly clown tyrant" and said that she does not want her US extended family members to see Trump win a second four-year term in the upcoming presidential election. All of the letters included the signature "FREE REBEL SPIRIT," alluded to the notes as a "special gift for you" and vowed to "find a better recipe" if the letters did not have their desired effect.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was also able to trace Facebook and Twitter postings, which included the hashtag "#killTrump," back to an email address bearing Ferrier's name. On September 19, the FBI said that an investigation was underway over a suspicious letter addressed to Trump. The package was reportedly intercepted earlier in the week and two tests were conducted, confirming the presence of the deadly poison ricin.