18-8-2023 (WASHINGTON) A Canadian woman, Pascale Ferrier, has been sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison in Washington for mailing a threatening letter containing the poison ricin to former President Donald Trump at the White House. The sentencing took place on Thursday, marking the culmination of a case that began in September 2020.
Ferrier, 56, pleaded guilty to violating biological weapons prohibitions in letters she sent to Trump and to police officials in Texas. Prior to this incident, she had no criminal record and was described by her defense attorney, Eugene Ohm, as an “inordinately intelligent” French immigrant who had earned a master’s degree in engineering while raising two children as a single parent.
The prosecution revealed that in September 2020, Ferrier manufactured the ricin at her home in Quebec and sent the potentially deadly poison, derived from processing castor beans, to Trump in a letter. The letter referred to him as “The Ugly Tyrant Clown” and contained the chilling statement, “If it doesn’t work, I’ll find a better recipe for another poison, or I might use my gun when I’ll be able to come. Enjoy! FREE REBEL SPIRIT.”
Fortunately, the letter was intercepted at a mail sorting facility before reaching the White House. Ferrier was apprehended while attempting to enter a border crossing in Buffalo, New York, carrying a gun, a knife, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Further investigation led authorities to discover eight similar letters addressed to law enforcement officials responsible for a Texas jail where Ferrier had been held after refusing to leave a closed park.
During her trial, Ferrier delivered a lengthy speech in which she described herself as a “peaceful and genuinely kind person” who becomes angered by issues such as unfairness, abuses of power, and what she referred to as “stupid rules.” She expressed little remorse but expressed her desire to find peaceful means to achieve her goals. Ferrier identified herself as an “activist” rather than a “terrorist.”
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich, honoring the terms of a plea agreement with prosecutors, sentenced Ferrier to 262 months in prison. Additionally, she will be expelled from the country upon her release and will be subject to supervised release for life if she ever returns.
Judge Friedrich noted a “real disconnect” between the image of Ferrier as a Canadian grandmother working towards another degree behind bars and the crimes she admitted to committing. The judge dismissed Ferrier’s self-description as an activist, stating, “That isn’t really activism. I hope you have no desire to continue on this path.”
Prosecutor Michael Friedman commended the sentence, deeming it an “appropriately harsh punishment” that sends a clear message. He emphasized that politically motivated violence has no place in the United States and that there is no excuse for threatening public officials or targeting public servants.
