Timeline
August, 1997: The FBI informant - a cancer researcher with a criminal record, he has 1981 and 1982 felony convictions for extortion - allegedly meets Larry Wayne Harris at a Denver science convention.
January, 1998: The FBI informant allegedly meets William Job Leavitt Jr. The three were working on a project to test a device to supposedly "deactivate" viruses and bacteria, the criminal affidavit filed Feb. 19, 1998, says. The men also had contacted the source "some time ago" about testing E. coli and Bacillus subtilis bacteria, and on Tuesday told the source they had other organisms to test, including Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus Anthracis, the FBI said.
Monday, Feb. 16, 1998 - evening: In an interview with the AP, Daniel Burns, managing editor of KVBC-TV said chief photographer Mark Renfro ran into Leavitt and Harris at a Radio Shack in Las Vegas Monday night. The men were shopping for a police scanner and were looking for radar detectors and globe-shaped static electricity toy.
They conversed and the men tried to get the station to interview them about Iraq.
"They started to explain that they were conducting research and had done a lot of research on chemical warfare and were familiar with what was going on in Iraq, and if we wanted to do a story on them we should contact them," Burns said.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 - noon: Source says he met with Harris and Leavitt and that Leavitt told the source he had "military grade" anthrax in flight bags in the trunk of a Mercedes registered to a Gary M. Gerwin of Palm Springs, Calif. Source says he saw in the trunk eight to 10 black leather flight bags marked with "Biological."
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 - afternoon: The cancer researcher calls the FBI. He says he has been contacted by two men claiming to be carrying enough anthrax in the trunk of a Mercedes to wreak havoc on an entire city.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 - 3:15 p.m.: FBI records a 3:15 p.m. phone call from Leavitt to the source. Leavitt calls to set up 7 p.m. meeting at a local restaurant so the source could provide testing equipment, according to the FBI.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 - 6:30 p.m.: FBI agents on surveillance watched Leavitt and Harris leave Room 921 of the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino west of The Strip, the FBI said. Leavitt was carrying a white Styrofoam cooler, which he put in the Mercedes trunk, according to the FBI. Leavitt and Harris were accompanied by a third, unidentified man. Leavitt and Harris drove off in the Mercedes; the third man left in another car, the FBI said.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 - 7:06 p.m.: Leavitt and Harris arrived at the unidentified restaurant at 7:06 p.m. and met with the source outside, telling him they wanted to do the testing as quickly as possible, according to the FBI. Leavitt and Harris then left the restaurant in the Mercedes, followed by authorities on the ground and in the air. A SWAT team also followed the men.
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 - evening: The men were observed driving to an office complex in Henderson, Nev., just outside Las Vegas. The FBI source also drove there. Agents momentarily lost sight of Leavitt and Harris in the complex - located at 12501 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson. Agents then saw someone carrying a white cooler towards Building D.
Agents descended on the building and arrested Leavitt and Harris as they left the office. Through the window, the agents could see the cooler sitting inside the office, according to the FBI.
With the consent of the building occupant, FBI agents entered the building and picked up the cooler and 40 petrie dishes from a shelf near the cooler. The source said that he had seen Leavitt take two items out of the cooler.
The Mercedes was sealed in plastic and transported to Nellis Air Force Base. FBI technicians found that material in the car appeared to be "anthrax or anthrax precursors."
Meanwhile, the FBI interviewed the third man seen with Leavitt and Harris at the hotel. It wasn't clear from the affidavit what that man's role was, if any, in the testing of the anthrax. But the man did tell agents that Harris showed him a vial wrapped in cardboard and that Harris told him it contained enough anthrax to "wipe out the city."
Thursday, Feb. 19, 1998 - 11:15 a.m.: The FBI announces the arrest of Larry Wayne Harris and William Job Leavitt on charges of conspiracy to possess and possession of the biological agent.
Thursday, Feb. 19, 1998 - 3 p.m.: Larry Wayne Harris and William Job Leavitt appear in court. Federal Magistrate Roger Hunt will decide Monday whether bail should be set for Larry Wayne Harris and William Job Leavitt Jr. on the felony charges in the Henderson incident.
Thursday, Feb. 19, 1998 - afternoon: Gov. Bob Miller received a briefing from Bobby Siller - the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office - Thursday afternoon, and said he had been assured there was no further threat to the Las Vegas area. He said the Mercedes had been released from Nellis to the FBI.
Yet people flooded the lines of Las Vegas radio talk shows with concerns about their safety and questions about what the men were intending to do.
Friday, Feb. 20, 1998 - afternoon: Ronald Rockwell, the FBI informant spoke to television and newspapers and said he was just scared when Leavitt and Harris, who were interested in what he portrayed as his disease-fighting machine, said they had the deadly bacteria.
Leavitt's defense branded a twice-convicted extortionist and scam artist who went to the FBI when a business deal turned sour.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 1998 - morning: The testing on the alleged anthrax was done by scientists at an Army laboratory at Fort Dietrick, Md. They found it was a non-lethal anthrax vaccine for animals and not a serious health threat.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 1998 - afternoon: At a press conference the FBI announces the test results and adds that it took approriate action given the information it had.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 1998 - evening: William Job Leavitt Jr. is released from jail on his own recognizance. The FBI serves a search warrant on Leavitt's property.
Monday, Feb. 23, 1998 - afternoon: Monday afternoon, charges against Leavitt and Harris of conspiracy and possession of a biological agent for use as a weapon were dismissed. However, in Columbus, Ohio, federal authorities charged Harris with violating the probation terms of a 1995 conviction for fraudulently obtaining bubonic plague toxins.
Friday, March 6, 1998: A federal magistrate in Ohio releases Harris who was arrested in the Las Vegas anthrax scare and jailed for allegedly violating his probation. Federal Magistrate Mark Abel said prosecutors failed to show that Harris violated probation by claiming he had military-grade anthrax and by producing infectious disease, bacteria or germs in his Ohio home. Abel said there was enough evidence to hold a hearing on whether Harris was continuing to tell people he used to work for the CIA, another violation of his probation. The hearing was not scheduled.