Inmate Sends Anthrax Threat to Assist. U.S. Atty Who Prosecuted Him

US MailBy Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com

You can accuse John Philip Barker of a crime, but don’t ever accuse him of being overly smart.

Barker, 47, has been charged with mailing a white powder letter to Assistant U.S. Attorney David Smith of Kansas City, Ks., who had just prosecuted him for mailing an anthrax threat to the IRS, authorities said.

Interestingly, a criminal complaint says that Barker spelled anthrax wrong — he spelled it “antrax” — in the first letter to the IRS and the second one to the prosecutor.

The letter to the prosecutor read:

“YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED
TO ANTRAX
DIE”

An FBI affidavit said the letter Barker sent to the prosecutor also contained his name and address of his prison on the return address. The powder was harmless.

Barker was sentenced on Aug. 10 in the IRS mailing to one year and a day in federal prison.

Read Criminal Complaint and FBI Affidavit

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