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William Christopher Gibbs
A North Georgia man with white supremacist ties who was exposed to the deadly poison ricin early this month was indicted Wednesday in federal court on a charge of possession of a biological agent or toxin.
William Christopher Gibbs, 27, of Fannin County, Ga., was arrested in early February after he drove himself to the hospital and said he had come in contact with ricin. The substance is derived from castor beans and is so potent a few grains can kill a human.
Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby told Fox 5 news in Atlanta on Feb. 8 that Gibbs told hospital personnel he had ricin on his hands. Kirby told the television station Gibbs' car tested positive for ricin as well.
"I think it was all contained inside his vehicle, just a small amount of something I think he had been experimenting with. It was inside his vehicle and somehow he claimed he had exposed himself to what he made, got scared, and went to the hospital," Kirby told Fox 5.
Shortly thereafter an Army hazmat team swarmed the neighborhood in Morganton, Ga., where Gibbs lived, to ensure no one else had been exposed to the toxin, Fox 5 reported.
U.S. Attorney John Horn issued a statement saying there was "no evidence that any poisonous or toxic substances have been dispersed or the public is at risk."
Multiple news outlets said Gibbs identified himself as a white supremacist on his Facebook page, which has since been taken down. Photos said to be from his Facebook page published by Heavy.com show Gibbs wearing patches from the Creativity Alliance, whose home page features a poster proclaiming: "White people wake" and whose creed is, "Dedicated to the Survival, Expansion and Advancement of the White Race."
The indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Gainesville states that on or about Feb. 2, Gibbs "did knowingly possess a biological agent and toxin, to wit, ricin," without authorization.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in federal prison and fined.
Gibbs remains in the Fannin County Jail on state charges of reckless conduct and probation violation, according to the sheriff's office. His bond is set at $2,000 for reckless conduct, but he is not eligible for bond on his probation violation does not have a bond.
No information was available on his arraignment date in the federal case.