Anthrax-Hoax Letters Sent to White House and Social Security Administration Offices

April 30, 2010 - SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that a federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment charging Timothy Cloud, 62, a transient generally from Roseville and San Francisco, with four counts of hoax mailings, four counts of mailing threatening communications, one count of threatening the President, and one count of crossing state lines after failing to register as a sex offender.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, the Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Stegman is prosecuting the case.

According to court documents, on January 30, 2010, Cloud sent envelopes addressed to Social Security Administration (SSA) offices in New York, Kansas City, Mo., and Baltimore. Each contained a white powdery substance and an index card with the words “you stole my money” and “die.” Police, fire, and hazardous material teams responded to emergency calls at each location, and employees had to be quarantined and affected areas decontaminated.

The indictment alleges that a similar envelope was mailed the same day to the White House with the words, “You are just another lying politision,” [sic] with cross hairs between “not this time” and “maybe next time,” and a newspaper photo of President Obama with cross hairs hand drawn over his face.

The indictment also alleges that Cloud failed to register in California as a sex offender by reason of a conviction in Texas.

Cloud was arrested in San Francisco on April 22, 2010. He is scheduled to appear for arraignment on May 7, 2010.

If convicted, Cloud faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of count of sending the hoax mailings and the threats to the President. He faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count of sending threatening communications. He faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the count of crossing state lines after failing to register as a sex-offender. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.