Long Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Suspicious White Powder to Dow Jones & Co.

A 70-year-old Long Lake man pleaded guilty earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis to sending a suspicious white powder to Dow Jones & Co. after receiving unsolicited mail from the company. Appearing before United States District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Richard Valentine Kozak pleaded guilty to one count of false information and hoaxes. Kozak was indicted on August 19, 2010.

In his plea agreement, Kozak admitted that on May 10, 2010, he placed a quantity of white powder inside a prepaid, business-return envelope, along with an obscene note, and mailed it to the Dow Jones & Co. mail facility in Massachusetts. Kozak admitted his actions were in response to a magazine offer he had received from the company. He also admitted he had included the white powder in the envelope to get the attention of Dow Jones with the understanding that people might become frightened when they receive a white powder in the mail.

When the envelope was opened, the powder spilled on an employee, who experienced great fear. The mail handling facility was closed for a period of time, and a local hazmat team spent more than four hours determining that the powder did not represent an anthrax or other biological threat.

For his crime, Kozak faces a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison. Judge Schiltz will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Docherty.

Since September 11, 2001, federal agencies have investigated and charged numerous individuals across the nation with biological weapon hoaxes and threats. The public is encouraged to contact the FBI with any information regarding potential acts of this nature.