Free Republic

OCALA, Fla. — A man was arrested after authorities allegedly found the deadly toxin ricin stashed in a cardboard box at his home along with a small cache of weapons, officials said Thursday. Steven Michael Ekberg, 22, faces up to 10 years if convicted of possession of a biological agent. FBI agents said they didn't believe Ekberg, arrested Wednesday, had any connection with terrorist groups.

OCALA - New details emerged in court Tuesday about an Ocala man charged with illegal possession of ricin, a deadly toxin that can be used for bioterrorism. A search of Steven Michael Ekberg's home computer turned up terrorism-related materials, an FBI agent testified at a preliminary hearing in Ocala. Ekberg, 22, was arrested Jan. 13 and charged with illegal possession of ricin, a toxin with no known antidote and so lethal that an amount the size of pinhead can kill. FBI Special Agent Pamela Piersanti testified Tuesday that investigators seized Ekberg's computer at the time of his arrest. They found...

OCALA, Fla. - A man arrested in January after police found the lethal toxin ricin at his home pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court. Steven Michael Ekberg, 22, faces up to 10 years in prison for unlawful possession of the substance. He was arrested after someone phoned in a tip to police. Agents who searched his home found a cardboard box of chemicals, including three vials that tested positive for ricin. They also found a submachine gun and two semiautomatic rifles. Authorities have previously declined to comment on how Ekberg got the ricin, a toxin derived from castor beans. As...