EDDYVILLE INMATE CHARGED WITH MAILING
THREATENING LETTER TO U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ED WHITFIELD
- Letter contained white powder

David L. Huber, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, announced today that a federal Grand Jury in Louisville returned an Indictment charging RONALD SCHAEFFER, age 53, of Eddyville, Kentucky, with mailing a threatening communication in violation of 18 U.S.C. 876 (c)..

The Indictment charges that on or about June 1, 2004, Schaeffer, an inmate at the Kentucky State Penitentiary, Eddyville, Kentucky, mailed a letter containing a white powdery substance to U. S. Representative Ed Whitfield’s congressional office in Washington, D.C. claiming in the accompanying letter that the substance was "poison."

If convicted, the maximum potential penalties are five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release for a period of three years.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Schaeffer is scheduled to appear for arraignment before the United States Magistrate Judge on April 11, 2007 at 1:30 p.m., in Paducah, Kentucky.

* * *

The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

- END -

DLH:MAB:vlp:070313