Kansas City Mo: Former U.S. Army Employee Charged With Possession Of Chemical Weapon

KMBC Channel 9 ^ | 5-16-03

[Freedom2specul8]

TheKansasCityChannel.com
Local Man Charged With Possession Of Chemical Weapon
Chemist Is Former U.S. Army Employee
POSTED: 4:19 p.m. CDT May 16, 2003
UPDATED: 5:22 p.m. CDT May 16, 2003

An Independence man has been charged with possessing a chemical weapon, but prosecutors won't say what he allegedly may have planned to do with the potassium cyanide.

The chemical was discovered in his apartment in February, authorities said.

A federal grand jury in Kansas City indicted Hessam Ghane, 53. He's a naturalized U.S. citizen from Iran who holds a doctorate in chemistry, KMBC's Peggy Breit reported.

The indictment was unsealed Friday, when Ghane was arrested and made his first appearance in U.S. District Court.

Authorities originally went to the Timber Creek Apartments, where Ghane lived, because the suspect was distraught, Briet reported.

"Once we started to recognize we had certain issues we contacted the FBI. But initially we were checking on the well-being of the person," said Capt. Gregg Wilkinson of the Independence Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Todd Graves says prosecutors don't believe Ghane was involved in a conspiracy.

Graves said he could not say what Ghane's intention was, but added that prosecutors had not accused Ghane with any specific plan to use the chemical.

The indictment accuses Ghane of possessing 177 grams of potassium cyanide, which can cause death. Graves did not specify the number of people that could be hurt by that much of the chemical, but said it was potentially lethal to multiple individuals.

Breit reported that the chemical is the same one used in gas chambers to execute prisoners.

This is only the second charge of its kind in the country, KMBC reported. If convicted, Ghane faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Ghane was being held without bond late Friday afternoon and did not yet have an attorney. His next hearing was set for Tuesday.

Ghane, a chemist, was employed with the Army Corps of Engineers until 1993. He also taught chemistry at Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City, Mo., in 1996 and 1997.

Copyright 2003 by TheKansasCityChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Freedom2specul8]

I did a search, and didn't see this posted.

---

This is presented here under the "fair use" provisions of the US copyright laws, solely for the purpose of discussion and critique. Per U.C.C. 1-207

[Freedom2specul8]

Granted, this isn't about snipers..but it is related to the army. I thought you might be interested. Freepmail me if you want to be removed from this ping list.

[Freedom2specul8]

bump

[Aliska]

Wonder how many others there are out there. Is it legal to possess potassium cyanide assuming you haven't stolen it?

Scary stuff.

[VOA]

Legally obtainable over the Internet...at least according to CBS News story at:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/09/eveningnews/main535932.shtml

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Enough to kill 700 people, if effectively distributed.

[Freedom2specul8]

I tried to do a search... it's gotta be illegal!
BTW, the just said on the news he only had 1/2 cup, BUT it was enough to kill hundreds of people. There are no allegations of connections to a larger group. It's often used for execution in gas chambers..

http://www.google.com/search?q=Crime+to+possess+potassium+cyanide+&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N
http://www.globaldisaster.org/nbcrescen.shtml

[Freedom2specul8]

Yep! VOA has to be right..local news just said it's also use to developing photos, extracting gold and silver from ore..and I can't remember the rest..

[demsux]

Wow, close to home

[Right Wing Professor]

Is it legal to possess potassium cyanide assuming you haven't stolen it?

It's a very common and important chemical reagent. I don't know under what circumstances its possession is illegal - possibly possessing it with intent to commit a felony?

[Freedom2specul8]

I'm not sure I want to know the effective way to distribute it..

[Freedom2specul8]

I knew I was forgetting to ping someone! Glad you found this..

[Eala]

I dunno. The article doesn't say much, but this looks like there could be a grandstanding prosecutor involved. It's dangerous stuff, admittedly, but the guy's a chemist. And a naturalized citizen from Iran -- I've know quite a number of Iranians who are here because of "conditions" there.

Then there's this: Graves did not specify the number of people that could be hurt by that much of the chemical, but said it was potentially lethal to multiple individuals.

Yah. Applied exactly correctly. To two individuals. Sounds a little bit like the joke among the chemists in the family: "So deadly a drop on a dog's tongue will kill 10 men."

I could be entirely wrong here and the prosecutor could be right, but to me this doesn't quite pass the smell test.

[Freedom2specul8]

"I've know quite a number of Iranians who are here because of "conditions" there. "

Very good point. We don't want to jump to conclusions.. The news did say he was distraught about something ?? and that 177 grams=1/2 cup is enough to kill hundreds of people. :(

[Eala]

it's also use to developing photos, extracting gold and silver from ore..and I can't remember the rest..

It is used for that. Members of the family once owned a gold mine in Costa Rica, and they used it for extracting the ores, after crushing the ores.

[tet68]

Also used for case hardening steel, although
modern blacksmiths now use proprietary compounds
that are much safer.
I can remember goin to an old smiths shop and seeing
a can up on a rather wobbly shelf, we left shortly after.

Not something you'd want to have around, but in
safe hands not unusable.

[Freedom2specul8]

Really? Well the news is sure making it a bit scary. I mean, if it's not illegal to own...why was he arrested for it??

[Freedom2specul8]

Whoa...the word "cyanide" would hae had me moving..sounds like you already knew what it was for. I guess it's a powder...that can be inhaled easily?

[Freedom2specul8]

SEeing the words distraught, army employee and chemical agent all in the same story is kind of bothersome.

[brneyedgirl]

Thanks for the ping :).