Man Previously Convicted in Terrorist Plot Indicted for Allegedly Possessing Ricin

A federal grand jury indicted an Ohio man with charges related to possession of a dangerous biological weapon Oct. 2, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced.

Brandon Baxter, 34, of East Cleveland, was charged with prohibitions with respect to biological weapons and possession of a biological toxin by a restricted person.

Prosecutors say Baxter knowingly possessed ricin, a highly potent toxin found naturally in castor beans, which is known to be lethal to humans. A tiny dose processed into a powder or mist can kill a person. The substance has a history of being used as a chemical and biological weapon.

Federal prosecutors did not disclose details about why Baxter allegedly had the deadly toxin or how it was found.

Baxter was arrested Sept. 19 in Cuyahoga, Ohio, on a weapons charge, inducing panic and aggravated menacing, according to the county arrest report. Details of his arrest were not included in the report.

His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14 with a magistrate judge.

The FBI’s Cleveland Division, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of East Cleveland Police Department are investigating the case, according to federal prosecutors. A trial attorney with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section is helping to prosecute the case.

In 2012, Baxter was one of four self-proclaimed anarchists sentenced to prison for his role in a plan to blow up a bridge near Cleveland.

The men, known as the “Cleveland 4,” formed a small group and considered a series of evolving plots over several months, according to court documents.

Baxter pleaded guilty to weapons of mass destruction charges and use of explosive device charges and was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison for the bomb plot. He was 20 at the time of his sentencing.

It was unclear if Baxter had an attorney or could be reached for comment. He was not able to be contacted.