NYC Pharmacist Who Tried to Make Ricin Sentenced to Prison

A New York City pharmacist who admitted to trying to make weapons-grade ricin and other legal toxins has been sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison.

Jordan Gonzalez was arrested on drug-related charges in 2013. He pleaded guilty in May 2014 to knowingly attempting to develop, produce and possess toxins and to possessing equipment for producing illegal narcotics.

He admitted he had been assembling equipment and materials to produce ricin, abrin and other toxins at his apartments in Jersey City and Manhattan. Gonzalez also obtained weapons, ammunition, body armor and survivalist-themed manuals.

The FBI raided his properties in November 2013. 

The pharmacist was initially charged by federal authorities with trying to manufacture a controlled substance after authorities found he had made a series of purchases online of materials associated with the hallucinogen known as MDA.

Prosecutors said he purchased thousands of seeds containing ricin and abrin between September 2011 and March 2013, as well as the materials to extract the toxins, and manuals instructing him how to do it. In November of last year, prosecutors say he also bought a kilogram of sodium azide, a toxic compound that is explosive at high temperatures.

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