Tallmadge Man Charged with Possessing a Biological Toxin and Making False Statements

A grand jury in Cleveland returned an indictment charging Jeff Boyd Levenderis, 54, of Tallmadge, Ohio, with one count of possessing a biological toxin and one count of making false statements, Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office, announced today.

Levenderis was arrested by federal agents on January 28, after a container allegedly containing a quantity of ricin, a potentially deadly biological toxin, was recovered from his former residence in Akron, Ohio, by specially trained and equipped personnel from the FBI, assisted by local public safety officials. Levenderis remains in custody, pending a bond hearing.

“The work done on this case by the FBI, Coventry Township Fire Department, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Hazardous Materials Team, Ohio Army National Guard, and other partners was extraordinary,” Dettelbach said.

“This case clearly demonstrates the strong partnerships between federal, state, and local agencies when responding to a dangerous situation that impacts the health and safety of our citizens,” Anthony said.

The indictment alleges that from at least as early as on or about January 1, 2005, and until January 24, 2011, Levenderis possessed an unspecified quantity of ricin, a biological toxin, without reasonable justification or a peaceful or bona fide purpose. The indictment also alleges that on or about January 24, 2011, Levenderis falsely told FBI agents the substance was “ant poison,” knowing that the substance, in fact, was ricin.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin E. Herdman and Thomas E. Getz of the National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in Cleveland, with assistance from the Counter Terrorism Section of the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, in Washington, D.C. The Cleveland Division of the FBI is continuing to investigate.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.