FBI Arrests Sender Of Letters Containing White Powder

STANFORD, CA — The FBI announced the arrest Thursday of a Massachusetts man who allegedly sent letters containing suspicious white powder to Stanford University Professor Michele Dauber — leader of the effort to recall Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the rape trial of former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner — and at least five other high-profile people across the country.

The FBI arrested Daniel Frisiello, 24, of Beverly, Massachusetts, for five counts of mailing a threat to injure and five counts of false information and hoaxes. Frisiello allegedly sent envelopes that bore Boston postmarks and contained a note indicating or implying that the powder inside was dangerous, according to the FBI.

In addition to the letter and a glitter bomb received by Dauber on Valentine's Day, federal investigators believe Frisiello is also responsible for four other letters sent to U.S. President Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., interim U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Nicola Hanna, U.S. Sen. Deborah Stabenow, D-Michigan, and congressional candidate Antonio Sabato Jr.

It is alleged that the first envelope was addressed to “DonalD trump Jr,” and was postmarked in Boston on Feb. 7, 2018. According to the FBI, the addressee’s wife opened the envelope, which contained an unknown suspicious white powder, and the following printed message:

"You are an awful, awful person, I
am surprised that your father lets
you speak on TV. You make the
family idiot, Eric, look smart. This is
the reason why people hate you,
so you are getting what you
deserve. So shut the **** UP!"

The second envelope, addressed to Hanna, was also postmarked in Boston on Feb. 7, 2018, according to the FBI. The envelope contained an unknown suspicious white powder, which spilled out when it was opened. The letter inside the envelope bore the following printed message:

"That’s for murdering Mark Salling! I
Hope you end up the same place as Salling."

Mark Salling, who committed suicide in January, was a defendant in a child pornography case being prosecuted by Hanna’s office.

Stanford officials confirmed that Santa Clara County hazardous materials officials tested the white substance that arrived in the mail for Dauber on Feb. 14 and determined it did not pose a threat. Dauber, a Stanford Law professor, said in a statement that day that the mysterious white powder came with a note that contained a rape threat.

FBI officials said Dauber also received a glitter bomb in the mail, which is a letter containing glitter that, when opened, spills all over the place onto the recipient.

Law enforcement traced Frisiello's financial records back to the purchase of the glitter bomb delivered to Dauber. On Feb. 21, agents recovered trash from his residence that appeared to have remnants of the cut-out messages that Frisiello had sent to the victims, according to the FBI.

The investigation that resulted in Frisiello's arrest was conducted by the FBI Boston Division’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is led by members of the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service and the Beverly, Massachusetts Police Department.

"This case demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Secret Service to fully investigate any type of threatening behavior directed towards our Protectees," said Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office.

Dauber said in a statement Thursday that she was relieved an arrest was made and that it was important to allow the criminal process to work.

Dauber has made headlines with the Recall Judge Aaron Persky Campaign, an effort to remove the judge who became controversial after sentencing Turner to six months in county jail for the on-campus sexual assault of an unconscious woman, a sentence viewed by many as too light.

"Our campaign is not going to be intimidated by threats and personal attacks," Dauber said in her statement. "We are going to continue to stand with survivors of sexual assault and on June 5, the voters will recall Judge Persky."

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Photo: Michele Dauber, pictured at a press conference, is leading the effort to recall Judge Persky. (Photo by Eric Risberg/ Associated Press)