A Mississippi native has been sentenced by a judge on Monday to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to sending letters dusted with poisonous substance ricin to several top government officials, which include US President Barack Obama, Politico reported. James Everett Dutschke was handed out the sentence following his change of mind on May 13, telling US District Judge Sharion Aycock about his initial intention to withdraw his guilty plea in the case. Aside from the quarter of a century jail term, he was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and remains under federal custody, the news report added.
According to federal prosecutor Chad Lamar, Dutschke had waived his right to appeal his case and was not fined nor ordered to pay restitution as he was cash-strapped. However, Lamar noted that the usually vocal Dutschke talked little and his lawyer was the one who had spoken on his behalf.
The 42-year-old Tupelo resident gained notoriety after he reportedly sent the poisonous leters to Obama, Republican US Senator Roger Wicker and Mississippi judge Sadie Holland. Prosecutors have said that the move was done in order to frame his rival, Paul Kevin Curtis. Although the letters to Obama and Wicker were intercepted prior to the delivery, Politico said one letter had reached Holland. No harm was done on the judge, Politico said.
On May 13, Dutschke told Aycock that he wanted to withdraw his plea after he had struck an agreement with federal prosecutors about his case in January. The former martial arts instructor also said during his half-hour speech before the judge then that the prosecutors have lied about finding evidence that pointed to him as the actual perpetrator of the letters. He insisted his earlier claims that Corinth resident Curtis was the actual sender of the letters. Politico said Curtis was arrested, then released after the absence of any physical evidence of the poison by officials in his home.
Lamar stated that Aycock has already indicated that she has accepted the initial plea and that the judge found the outcome to be balanced
