Features

Eurkea man indicted for sending threatening anthrax letter and impersonating FBI agent

The Associated Press
Friday January 04, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — A Eureka man was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury after allegedly sending a letter to the FBI in San Francisco claiming the letter was laced with anthrax, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Roger Hudnall, 45, allegedly sent the letter on Nov. 24, threatening to kill two people and stated the envelope contained anthrax, according to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent. The letter was wrongly addressed and returned to Hudnall’s former landlord, whose return address was on the envelope. 

When she opened the returned envelope, white powder spilled out. The letter said the powder was anthrax, the same kind that had been sent to Washington, D.C., which killed several postal workers. 

The white powder later tested negative for anthrax. 

Hudnall also was indicted for allegedly impersonating as an FBI agent in July to avoid being evicted. 

Impersonating a federal officer while demanding anything of value carries a fine of $1,000 or three years in prison, or both. Hudnall also faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for mailing a threatening letter.