Winterset Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Letters

DES MOINES, IA—On February 24, 2011, United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt announced that William David Langford, of Winterset, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to charges pertaining to his utilization of the United States Mail to send threatening communications to individuals and organizations in Winterset, Iowa in February of 2010.

In pleading guilty to count one of the indictment, Langford admitted to mailing an envelope containing a written death threat and a white powder, with the intent to falsely convey the transfer of a harmful biological agent or toxin. As part of his guilty plea to count six of the indictment, Langford admitted to separately mailing letters threatening to injure a named individual to nine different individuals or organizations.

Both counts carry the potential for not more than five years' imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, or both such fine and imprisonment, not more than three years' supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund. The Indictment is on file with the Clerk of the United States District Court (Case No. 4:10-CR-101). A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 27, 2011.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Des Moines Resident Agency, the Winterset Police Department, the Des Moines Fire Department - Hazardous Materials Response Team, the Madison County Emergency Coordinator, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety.