LOGAN, Utah -- William Clyde Allen, a Logan man, has confessed to sending letters laced with the poison ricin to President Trump and the Pentagon. Allen was arrested on Wednesday morning at his home at 380 North 200 West in Logan. He is a former member of the U.S. Navy.
“We had indication that he may possess dangerous chemicals in the house. I can’t comment further,” said Doug Davis, an FBI Special Agent from the Salt Lake City Office.
The FBI later released a statement reading:
“The Salt Lake City Division of the FBI has taken William Clyde Allen into custody per a probable cause arrest warrant authorized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah. Per the USAO, a complaint is expected to be filed in federal court on Friday.”
The probable cause statement includes:
"On or about September 24, 2018, William Clyde Allen III sent, via postal mail, four letters containing ground castor beans to the President of the United States, the FBI Director, the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Naval Operations. During [an] interview of [Allen] on October 3, 2018 [Allen] confessed to having purchased castor beans and having sent letters. All four letters tested positive for ricin poison."
Allen is being held in the Davis County jail on a Threat of Terrorism charge. He does have a criminal history in Utah including charges of attempted aggravated assault, DUI and child abuse/neglect.
Neighbors described Allen as nice. One even talked about working on a community service project with the 39-year-old. The FBI said the public, including the neighbors adjacent to Allen’s house, are not in danger. However, his house is being searched by teams wearing hazmat gear for protection.
