NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

FEBRUARY 7, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MINNESOTA MAN INDICTED FOR ANTHRAX HOAX

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Appleton, Minn., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for mailing an envelope containing a white powder purporting to be anthrax to an Internal Revenue Service facility in Kansas City, Mo.

Jonathan Kenneth Joyner, 21, of Appleton, was charged with engaging in conduct with the intent to convey false or misleading information regarding a biological weapon in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

Today's indictment alleges that on June 22, 2007, Joyner mailed an envelope to the IRS Fraud Detection Center in Kansas City containing the white powder with a letter that stated, in part, "Anthrax Breath Deep Pig Ha Ha Ha Ha."

Wood cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexander Menzel, Jr. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of the Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

****************
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at
www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html