Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Anthrax Mail Hoax

BUFFALO—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Cory T. Kent, 30, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to perpetrating a hoax by mailing a threatening envelope. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Moscati, who is handling the case, stated that on November 1, 2011, Kent placed two envelopes in a mailbox at Daemen College addressed to two large U.S. banks. When a postal carrier was emptying the contents of the mailbox, a puff of powder emanated from the envelopes. Further investigation revealed the defendant put baby powder in the two envelopes as a prank intended to “freak out” whoever opened the envelopes. Kent stated he was mailing the envelopes after watching a YouTube video from the Occupy Wall Street group that advocated mailing pre-paid envelopes received from banks back to the banks stuffed with additional items in order to increase their costs.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; the United States Postal Service Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Robert Bethel; the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John C. Askey; and the Town of Amherst Emergency Services, under the direction of James Zymanek.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.

National Fire Academy Adds New Chemistry Course to NFA Online

EMMITSBURG, MD – The U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) National Fire Academy (NFA) announces the availability of a new NFA Online course: Foundational Concepts of Chemistry (Q228). Completion of Q228 is recommended prior to attending all NFA Hazardous Materials curriculum courses and is a precourse assignment for Chemistry for Emergency Response (R233) and Advanced Life Support Response to Hazardous Materials Incidents (R247). Beginning in October 2013, Foundational Concepts of Chemistry will be a prerequisite for acceptance into those courses. The course is approved for .4 Continuing Education Units (CEU).

Foundational Concepts of Chemistry provides students with fundamental knowledge to prepare for the more advanced Hazardous Materials curriculum courses.

There are currently 54 online courses available through NFA Online with topics including Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Response to Terrorism, Fire Prevention, Incident Management, Management Science, Public Education, and Wildland Firefighting. Students can access NFA Online at www.nfaonline.dhs.gov

For more information about the Hazardous Materials / Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) curriculum or other USFA programs and offerings, visit www.usfa.fema.gov. You can also follow USFA updates on Twitter at twitter.com/usfire

Biological Attack Investigator’s Handbook

“Criminal and Epidemiological Investigation Handbook, Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the USDepartment of Justice, and the US Army Soldier Biological ChemicalCommand. 2006.”

Available At:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/phlp/docs/CrimEpiHandbook2006.pdf

Book Excerpt:
“Current information indicates that, regardless of location, American assets and citizens will continue to be targets of terrorist activities. Terrorists have demonstrated their willingness to employ non-traditional weapons to achieve their ends. One such class of non-traditional weapons is biological agents. Biological agents pose new challenges to both law enforcement and public health officials in their efforts to minimize the effects of a biological attack and apprehend those responsible for the attack. In the past, it was not uncommon for law enforcement and public health officials to conduct separate and independent investigations. However, a biological attack requires a high level of cooperation between these two disciplines to achieve their respective objectives of identifying the biological agent, preventing the spread of the disease, preventing public panic, and apprehending those responsible. The lack of mutual awareness and understanding, as well as the absence of established communication procedures, could hinder the effectiveness of law enforcement’s and public health's separate, but often overlapping, investigations. Due to the continued likelihood of biological attacks, the effective use of all resources during a biological incident will be critical to ensure an efficient and appropriate response.

The purpose of this handbook is as follows:

To provide an introduction to epidemiological and criminal terrorist investigations so public health and law enforcement personnel have a better understanding of each other's information requirements and investigative procedures.

To identify potential conflicts law enforcement and public health personnel will encounter during their respective biological incident investigations and to provide potential solutions that can be adapted to meet the needs of the various jurisdictions and agencies throughout the United States.

To enhance the appreciation and understanding of each discipline's expertise by all parties.”

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.