TEXARKANA, Texas – A pregnant actress who told FBI agents that her husband had sent ricin-tainted letters to President Barack Obama and New York City’s mayor has been charged with threatening the president.
Shannon Guess Richardson was charged Friday in Texarkana, Texas. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of mailing a threatening communication to the president.
U.S. attorney’s office spokeswoman Davilyn Walston says Richardson was arrested earlier in the day for mailing ricin-laced letters last month to President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
It wasn’t immediately clear if she has an attorney.
WATCH: More Ricin letters sent to Obama, others
FBI agents wearing hazardous material suits were seen going in and out of her house Wednesday in New Boston, northeast of Dallas near the Oklahoma and Arkansas borders. Officials have said the search was initiated after the resident’s spouse contacted the FBI.
John Delk, who represents her husband Nathaniel Richardson, said his client is in the process of divorcing his wife and claimed she was trying to set him up when she contacted authorities about the letters.
READ MORE: The deadly history of Ricin
Her resume on the Internet movie database IMDb said she has had small television roles in The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead. She also had a minor role in the movie The Blind Side and appeared in an Avis commercial, according to the resume.
Delk said Richardson came to him to discuss a potential divorce a year ago and finally hired him on May 6, weeks before the ricin incident came to light.
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