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| US 'ricin' letter suspect charged over Obama 'threat' | US 'ricin' letter suspect charged over Obama 'threat' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man in Mississippi has been charged with threatening US President Barack Obama, after allegedly sending a letter containing suspected ricin to him. | A man in Mississippi has been charged with threatening US President Barack Obama, after allegedly sending a letter containing suspected ricin to him. |
| Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested on Wednesday after letters were found addressed to Mr Obama and a senator. | |
| Initial tests on the letters, identified at remote facilities, showed the presence of the lethal toxin. | Initial tests on the letters, identified at remote facilities, showed the presence of the lethal toxin. |
| The FBI has said there is "no indication of a connection" between the letters and Monday's Boston attack. | The FBI has said there is "no indication of a connection" between the letters and Monday's Boston attack. |
| Mr Curtis has also been charged with threatening to harm others, the US Department of Justice said. | |
| He is due to appear in court later on Thursday. | |
| 'Silent partner' | |
| The letters addressed to the president and Republican Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker were both postmarked Memphis, Tennessee, and dated 8 April. | |
| They read: "Maybe I have your attention now even if that means someone must die. To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance," according to an FBI affidavit released on Thursday. | |
| The letters were signed: "I am KC and I approve this message." | |
| The FBI said Mr Curtis also allegedly sent a third letter positively identified for ricin to a Mississippi justice official. | |
| The contents of the letter intended for President Obama were forwarded to an accredited laboratory for further analysis, the FBI said, with results expected in 24 to 48 hours. | |
| Mr Curtis' relatives earlier expressed shock at the news of his arrest, describing him as a natural musical performer who would impersonate Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. | |
| The suspect also wrote online posts about his belief that the government was running an illegal trade in human body parts, his cousin Ricky Curtis told the Associated Press. | |
| Ricin, extracted from castor beans, is 1,000 times more toxic than cyanide. | |
| It can be fatal when inhaled, swallowed or injected, although it is possible to recover from exposure. |