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| FBI accuses waiter of being a white male nutcase | ||
| 2005-01-14 | ||
| OCALA -- A 22-year-old unemployed waiter appeared before a federal judge Thursday to face charges he manufactured and illegally possessed the deadly biological agent ricin. U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary R. Jones delayed Steven Ekberg's bond hearing until Tuesday to give Ekberg's mother, Theresa Ekberg, time to hire an attorney. Steven Ekberg was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday evening at her home. In court, Ekberg said he graduated from Forest High School in 2000 and studied at Central Florida Community College in Ocala for a career in law enforcement or as a security guard. State records show he has a concealed-weapons permit. Ekberg said he is taking anti-depressant medication, including Xanax and Paxil, and receives psychiatric care and counseling. "Do I feel he's a terrorist? No," said Ekberg's mother said as she left the federal courthouse. "There's no sinister motive behind this." She said her son enjoys collecting "different and strange things. That's all."
Acting on a tip received by Marion County deputy sheriffs Jan. 1, federal, state and local agents began trailing Ekberg. On Jan. 7, two undercover agents met Ekberg at the Croc Club lounge in Ocala. According to sheriff's reports, Ekberg told the agents he usually carries three weapons with him. Ekberg lifted his left pant leg and showed them a .357-caliber Glock handgun in a holster strapped to his ankle. Ekberg then told them he keeps another gun in his truck. Undercover agents walked outside with Ekberg and arrested him on charges of illegally possessing weapons inside a bar. Agents also found .45-caliber handgun in his back pocket along with a small amount of cocaine inside a pill box, authorities said. Inside a backpack, agents found several live rounds for the weapons and a notebook with a recipe to manufacture an explosive, according to the sheriff's report. Ekberg was charged with possession of cocaine, a felony, and a violation of a concealed-weapons permit, a misdemeanor, because he carried a gun into a bar, authorities said. Later that night, agents searched the home on Southwest 10th Street, where they found several assault weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and an Uzi. All the weapons were seized. Agents with the Marion County Fire Department's hazardous-materials team found a white powder inside a box at the residence. On Wednesday, a state lab in Jacksonville confirmed the substance was ricin. At a news conference Thursday, federal agents and sheriff's officials said Ekberg appears to have acted alone. "We do not feel Mr. Ekberg is associated with any terrorist organization or entity," said Chris Bonner, a senior FBI agent.
Bonner said manufacturing ricin is extremely dangerous if it is inhaled or ingested and can kill a person within hours. Ricin is a poison that can be extracted from castor beans when castor oil is made. It gave Washington authorities a scare in 2004 when it was found in correspondence mailed to a U.S. senator, and in 2003 to the White House and the federal Department of Transportation. If convicted, the maximum penalty Ekberg faces is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is being held at the Marion County Jail. | ||
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 Ocala, the city Gainesville makes fun of. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-01-14 4:00:23 PM |
| #3 Internet Haganah had a picture of some pretty healthy looking castor-bean plants growing outside a central Florida mosque... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-01-14 3:28:04 PM |
| #2 How stupid do you have to be to show complete strangers your CWC weapon and tell them about all your other weapons? Usual BS MSM reporting in that they don't indicate what the tip was about or what story the cops used to get together with this nut job. |
| Posted by: DO 2005-01-14 3:00:31 PM |
| #1 The article neglected to use the words: "white supremist, loner, survivalist, anti-government, etc., etc., etc." The guy probably stopped taking his medication and going to therapy. |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2005-01-14 2:23:25 PM |