Henry Garcia, a 63-year-old resident of Vero Beach, Florida, faces charges for allegedly mailing a letter containing a hoax white powder to the New York State Attorney General’s Office. The announcement was made by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the FBI.
According to the indictment, on February 22, 2024, Garcia sent a threatening letter with suspicious white powder to the office in Albany. Although the substance was not hazardous, it was meant to appear as a biological weapon intended to threaten New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
The charges are accusations at this stage; Garcia is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Sarcone commented: “As alleged, the defendant mailed a white powder to Attorney General Letitia James here in Albany. No public servant…should be subjected to this kind of despicable, abhorrent conduct…Anyone engaging in this type of behavior – targeting New York State officials in Albany – should expect to be prosecuted…to the fullest extent of the law and no plea bargain will be offered for this conduct.”
FBI Special Agent Tremaroli added: “No public official should live in fear simply for showing up and doing the job they were elected to do. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force stands ready to aggressively investigate and bring to justice any individual looking to disturb the important work of our government leaders with dangerous threats of violence.”
If convicted, Garcia could face up to five years in prison, a fine reaching $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. Sentencing would depend on several factors including U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Garcia appeared initially yesterday in Fort Pierce, Florida and remains detained pending a detention hearing set for June 30, 2025.
The case is being investigated by multiple agencies including the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and assisted by local sheriff offices from Florida counties among others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is leading prosecution efforts.
