CHEYENNE, Wyo., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A Wyoming man who allegedly sent threatening letters to media outlets faced a raft of federal charges Monday after surrendering to a sheriff's deputy.
The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle said John Willett surrendered during the weekend to a Laramie County deputy who had spent a day negotiating with Willett by cell phone, attempting to convince him to turn himself in.
The FBI started looking for Willett after he allegedly sent letters to the Tribune and KGWN-TV last week, threatening Gov. Dave Freudenthal. The letters caused a scare because they contained a white powder that turned out to be harmless, but still forced a lengthy evacuation of the newspaper building.
Deputy Billy Swearingin said he was contacted by Willett during the weekend and eventually convinced him to return to Cheyenne and surrender.
The deputy told the Tribune he knew Willett and had even arrested him on previous occasions, but the 48-year-old suspect "never held it against me or anything."
