Police search Utah home for ricin

RIVERTON, Utah, March 3 (UPI) -- Authorities in hazmat suits have finished their search of a Utah home looking for vials of the deadly plant poison ricin, a newspaper said.

The Deseret Morning News reported Monday that National Guardsmen and emergency personnel searched the Riverton, Utah, home of Tom Tholen as a part of an investigation into vials of the plant toxin that were found last week in a Las Vegas motel room.

Tholen's cousin, Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, who lived in Riverton until recently, has been in a Las Vegas hospital since Feb. 14. Tholen found vials of ricin in Tholen's motel room, it was reported.

"The search warrant and affidavit have been sealed," FBI Special Agent in Charge Tim Fuhrman told reporters. "This investigation involves possible contamination of a highly toxic substance, ricin."

A neighbor told the newspaper that authorities had to remove some chemicals from the house.

"They didn't say what," said Tammy Ewell, who lives across the street from the house. She reportedly left her house for several hours on Sunday at the request of police.