United States v. Jeff Levenderis

OPINION

GRIFFIN, Circuit Judge.

Fifteen years ago, defendant Jeff Leven-deris produced ricin in his kitchen and stored it in his freezer. Levenderis intended to use the ricin for various purposes, including an elaborate suicide plot in which he would light his house on fire and hang bottles of ricin in the doorway to prevent firefighters from entering his home. The federal government prosecuted Levenderis for possessing a biological toxin for use as a weapon in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 175(a). On appeal, Levenderis argues that, in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Bond v. United…