Actress Who Sent Ricin to Obama Sentenced to 18 Years
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Shannon Guess Richardson, the Texas woman who pleaded guilty to sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama and then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the spring of 2013, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison.
Richardson will also have to pay $367,000 in restitution for ordering the components to make the ricin and mailing the letters.
When news of the ricin letters first came to light, Richardson, 36, falsely implicated her estranged husband, Nathan Richardson, who was never charged in the case.
Richardson, an actress, has had small roles in TV shows and films, including The Vampire Diaries, Franklin & Bash, The Change-Up and The Walking Dead.
At the sentencing, Richardson told the judge, “I never intended for anybody to be hurt. I’m not a bad person. I don’t have it in me to hurt anyone.”
She added, “I do love my country, and I respect my president.”
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