honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 11, 2002

Anthrax threats face full force of the law

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 24-year-old woman who mailed phony anthrax letters containing powdery substances to three Honolulu police stations will be prosecuted "aggressively," federal officials said.

Sharon Cardenas has admitted sending phony anthrax threat letters, a postal official said.
Sharon Cardenas is charged with mailing threatening communication and has admitted sending anthrax threat letters that were received Nov. 30 at Honolulu Police Department stations at Pearl City, Kalihi and downtown, said U.S. Postal Inspector Byron Dare in a criminal complaint filed yesterday at federal court.

Cardenas will be the first person prosecuted in Hawai'i for an anthrax-connected threat.

"We intend to make a hard statement on this one," said Ed Kubo Jr., the new U.S. attorney for the Hawai'i District. "This act not only disrupted the lives of citizens but caused the entire evacuation of two police substations and disrupted service to the community."

If convicted, Cardenas could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison and fined $250,000. An unmarried mother of a 10-month-old infant, she has been unemployed since last June, according to court records.

Assistant Federal Public Defender Shanlyn Park, who represented Cardenas at her appearance before Chang yesterday, had no comment

Cardenas forged the signature of her boyfriend's mother on letters that contained threats, extortion demands and powder alleged to be anthrax or some other hazardous material, the complaint said.

"The intent was to cause fear and ruin someone else's reputation," Postal Inspector Kathryn Derwey said.