News Releases
MAN INDICTED FOR ANTHRAX THREAT AT THE 11TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
March 23, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today that a federal grand jury indicted ANTHONY SIMBOLI, 32, for mailing a threatening communication to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. According to Nahmias:
SIMBOLI is charged with mailing a letter containing a white powdery substance which was received by the mail-handling facility at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, located in the Tuttle Federal Courthouse in Atlanta. The December 22, 2004 letter was addressed to the Clerk of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The letter also included specific threats against two Circuit Judges. HazMat teams were immediately dispatched to the Court of Appeals to deal with the threat. The powder, letter and envelope were collected and, after testing, the powder was determined to be detergent. The substance was negative for anthrax or any other biological or chemical agents. In December 2004, SIMBOLI also sent a similar letter containing a white powder to the United States Supreme Court.
SIMBOLI has been incarcerated in a Florida state prison since 2004. He had previously filed a number of appeals with the Eleventh Circuit of Appeals, all of which were denied.
This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Kurt R. Erskine is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact F. Gentry Shelnutt, Chief, Criminal Division, (404) 581-6065. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.