Cops Arrest Texas Actress Over Ricin Letters

She originally blamed her husband, authorities say
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 7, 2013 1:56 PM CDT
Cops Arrest Texas Actress Over Ricin Letters
In this May 31 photo, members of an FBI hazardous materials team prepare to enter a residence in New Boston, Texas.   (AP Photo/Texarkana Gazette, Evan Lewis, File)

A woman who told FBI agents her husband had sent ricin-tainted letters to President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been arrested for allegedly sending the letters herself, law enforcement officials said today. It was not immediately clear what charges would be filed against Shannon Richardson of New Boston, Texas. FBI agents wearing hazardous material suits were seen going in and out of her house Wednesday. Officials have said the search was initiated after Richardson's husband contacted the FBI.

The lawyer for 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. Shannon Richardson, who has five kids, is an actress whose IMDB resume mentions small TV 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. (More letters stories.)

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