An Illinois man faces multiple new charges in addition to multiple federal charges of using a biological agent as a weapon. The original indictment mentions Title 18, Chapter 10, section 175 - prohibitions with respect to biological weapons.
Nearly a year after he was indicted for allegedly possessing a puffer fish toxin for use as a weapon, Edward F. Bachner IV, a former financial planner from Lake in the Hills, has been slapped with additional charges involving an alleged scheme to murder his wife to collect $20 million in life insurance.
The superseding indictment, handed up Tuesday in Federal Court in Rockford, alleges that Bachner committed wire fraud as part of the scheme, solicited another person to commit a felony involving the use of force, used an interstate facility for murder-for-hire, and filed false claims for federal income tax refunds.
Bachner, 36, arrested last June, pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges and remains in federal custody while the case is pending in Federal Court in Rockford.
Another case of Islamofascist bioterrorism? Not really, if you read this July 2008 article. But at least the FBI didn't use the usual Title 18 WMD code. I thought it would be hard to claim a WMD charge when the perp allegedly planned to use a small amount of toxin against one person. But it's not exactly a biological weapon, either. Ah well.
"...murder his wife to collect $20 million in life insurance."
If you arrange for your death to be worth $20m, you really shouldn't expect to die of old age.
Posted by: Kilo | 19 June 2009 at 04:57 AM