NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A Florida teen is facing federal charges after allegedly trying to sell a poison known as abrin online to undercover federal investigators, prosecutors said.
Jesse William Korff, 19, was arrested Saturday and will face federal charges in New Jersey of possession and transfer of a toxin for use as a weapon and smuggling goods. New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said the teen tried to sell two doses of the ricin-like poison on a black market website for $2,500 to an undercover Homeland Security agent.
He also offered advice on how much of the plant-based toxin was needed to kill a person of a specific weight and the best delivery methods, officials allege. He allegedly told the agent the victim's death would appear to be a particularly bad case of the flu.
"The criminal complaint alleges Jesse Korff was willing to sell a potentially deadly toxin to a stranger over the Internet," Fishman said. "He allegedly peddled the poison on a virtual black market of illegal and dangerous goods, hidden in the shadow of a secretive computer network favored by cybercriminals. Had this been an actual sale to a real customer, the consequences could have been tragic. Fortunately, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a buyer was able to get a dangerous chemical weapon and its alleged seller off our streets."
Fishman's office didn't say how the suspect came upon the toxin.
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