Sender of phony ‘anthrax’ sentenced

A man who sent 19 letters containing white powder falsely marked as “anthrax” to federal courthouses and Social Security offices in New York and Connecticut was sentenced Monday to two years of prison time — a punishment he’s already served.

Jason Pantone, 36, sent the powder — wheat flour — to offices that included the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse in Albany because he was angry at being denied Social Security disability benefits.

U.S. District Judge Mae D’agostino, who works in the courthouse and presided over Pantone’s case, stressed to him Monday that government employees have a right to be secure in their work

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When one is confronted in this day and age with an envelope with anything like white powder, your sense of security is lost. I cannot possibly minimize the harm that you did, Mr. Pantone. … And it wasn’t once once or twice. It was 19 times.”

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The case was “extremely concerning to me,” she told the defendant.

“We cannot have a society where public servants and judges are targets every time someone is disgruntled with something that has taken place,” D’agostino told Pantone. “Hopefully, after spending two years of your life incarcerated, you get that.”

Even though the powder ended up being wheat flour, it caused great alarm and concern, the judge told the defendant.

“When one is confronted in this day and age with an envelope with anything like white powder, your sense of security is lost,” D’agostino told Pantone. “I cannot possibly minimize the harm that you did, Mr. Pantone. … And it wasn’t once once or twice. It was 19 times.”

While D’agostino noted Pantone had a history of mental health issues, he knew what he was doing, understood right from wrong and sent the letters as retaliation for not receiving Social Security disability benefits. Pantone sent the letters in February 2019. Some letters contained smiley faces with the letter “X” as eyes. One letter stated: “The substance contained in this letter is Anthrax. It’s very dangerous and can result in death if inhaled or touched,” according to an FBI agent’s affidavit in a criminal complaint.

Pantone mailed the powder to Social Security Administration offices in Plattsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester, Binghamton, Utica, Syracuse, Corning, Batavia, Geneva, West Nyack and White Plains in New York and to the agency’s offices in Hartford and Torrington in Connecticut. He sent letters to U.S. District Court offices in Albany, Syracuse, Binghamton, Plattsburgh and Utica, the affidavit said.

Pantone additionally sent a tip to the FBI — on himself — which stated: “Jason Pantone has been mailing fake/hoax anthrax letters to the social security offices in upstate New York. He leaves the letters in his mailbox to be picked up by the mailman. Why? I think because he was very upset over his SSA disability denial. He was denied a while ago, but recently talks about it a lot. He has been sending letters for about a week or so.”

Pantone was arrested in late February 2019 following an investigation by the FBI’S Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. attorney’s office in Albany. He had been incarcerated since his arrest. He’ll serve three years of supervised release.

He pleaded guilty in October to conveying a hoax letter involving anthrax.

In a sentencing recommendation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Anderson told the judge that Pantone’s crime led numerous police, fire, medical and emergency response teams to arrive at the office buildings under the possibility that anthrax had been delivered. Offices were evacuated and closed at times for multiple days. The Social Security and court offices lost about SSA and U.S. District Courts in the Northern District of New York caused these agencies to sustain a total loss of approximately $15,500, the prosecutor stated.

“Disturbingly, the defendant did not address any of the letters to any particular person,” the prosecutor said. He said Pantone “intended for any unsuspecting individual to open the letter, read the note, see the powder, and be placed in fear of death. Put another way, the defendant meant for the recipient, who he had never met before to believe that death was about to befall them from anthrax poisoning.”

On Monday, Pantone’s attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Matthew Trainor, told the judge that Pantone failed to consider the significance of what he was doing and its effect on the people who opened the letters. His client, he noted, has mental health issues.

When afforded a chance to speak, Pantone told the judge he identified himself in the letters and told his psychiatric nurse — all in efforts to help authorities catch him.

“It was never my intention to harm anyone,” Pantone said. “… I did not realize the repercussions that my actions would have. It was an impulsive decision that I deeply regret. Please be assured that I would never do anything like this again.”

The judge made it clear she would not be lenient if Pantone was back before her. She said he cannot have direct or indirect contact with any of the offices he sent the letters without prior approval from the federal probation office.

U.S. District Judge Mae D’agostino