Ishtiaq Ali Saaem is sentenced to three years of probation following a guilty plea to charges he obstructed a federal investigation into his efforts to acquire the deadly toxin ricin.
The U.S. Department of Justice sentenced a former researcher with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology‘s Broad Institute to three years of probation following a guilty plea to charges he obstructed a federal investigation into his efforts to acquire the deadly toxin ricin.
Ishtiaq Ali Saaem was charged by the Justice Department last year for lying to federal investigators about his 2015 attempts to acquire 100 castor bean packets in order to develop ricin, which is a poison used in bioterror attacks. Saaem received three years’ probation, including six months of home confinement. He has also been ordered to pay a $5,500 fine.
Although there was no evidence that Saaem tried to produce the poison for nefarious purposes, the Bangladesh-native who previously served as a director of research at Cambridge, Mass.-based Gen9, Inc., now part of Ginkgo Bioworks, told prosecutors that he had been influenced by the television show “Breaking Bad”. According to court documents, as a biomedical engineer, Saaem was interested in the process of developing the poison after the show’s main character explained the process in an episode. He came to the attention of authorities after acquiring 100 packets of castor beans. The poison can be extracted from the natural oils of the seeds. According to the Department of Justice, each of the packets contained eight seeds. Additionally, he ordered multiple Lilly of the Valley plants, from which another poison, convallatoxin, can be extracted. According to the federal government, Saaem’s Internet search history contained queries about tasteless poisons.
During questioning, Saaem told investigators he intended to plant the beans and the Lilies of the Valley around his apartment for decoration. He claimed he accidentally ordered 100 packets instead of one, and his interest in buying castor beans is related to an interest in gardening. He also made misleading statements about his knowledge of ricin.
Acquiring castor beans is not illegal, but large purchases such as Saaem’s 800 beans can trigger investigations. During his sentencing hearing, Saaem said he never made the poison, nor did he intend to harm anyone, the Boston Globe reported. He claimed that he was “scared and overwhelmed” when federal officers approached him about his 2015 purchases, which “led to my poor choice of not telling the truth.” His attorney argued that Saaem never possessed the poison and that his behavior was best described as “misplaced curiosity.”
The government initially sought a sentence of one year in federal prison, but the judge opted for probation since Saaem is the primary caregiver for his three-year-old son, who has significant medical conditions. The judge said he believed Saaem “is extremely remorseful for his conduct.”
“Dr. Ali Saaem showed callous disregard for public safety and federal authority,” United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins said in a statement. “This prosecution sends a clear message that the attempted procurement of deadly weapons or toxins will be taken as a direct threat against the safety and security of American communities. Thanks to the swift action by authorities, no one was harmed.”
