Massachusetts Man Arrested For Sending White Powder To Trump Jr

BEVERLY, MA — The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested a Beverly man in connection with the threatening note and white powder sent to Donald Trump Jr. and four others. Beverly Police assisted with the arrest, according to a Beverly Police spokesperson.

Police arrested Daniel Frisiello, 24, of Beverly, just before 8 a.m. Thursday on his way to work and charged him with 10 counts of mailing threats and hoaxes. Frisiello worked at Catholic Charities of Boston's Peabody child care center. Catholic Charities placed Frisiello on leave immediately after the FBI informed the organization of his arrest, according to a statement by a spokeswoman.

He is charged with mailing five envelopes with white powder and threatening notes to public officials including Donald Trump Jr., causing hazardous materials responses when they were opened, the U.S. Attorney, FBI, and Secret Service in Massachusetts announced in a press conference Thursday.

"My family and I are incredibly relieved to hear this news. No one should ever have to deal with this kind of sickening behavior," said Donald Trump Jr. in a Tweet after the news got out.

None of the letters had return addresses, officials said in a press conference in Boston today, but officials were able to trace them back to the area because of a Boston post mark and after some internet searching that traced a threatening glitter bomb to a law professor at Stanford. Police went through the Frisiello trash late last week, according to court records, and found more evidence that allegedly linked him to the rest of the envelopes.

"This was a textbook Federal investigation," said the U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling at the press conference.

"These kinds of hoaxes may not cause physical harm, but they scare the heck out of people," he said referencing the anthrax mailings when people were killed in the early 2000s.

"Today's arrest sends a strong message to those who seek to terrorize the American Public." FBI counter-intelligence chief Peter Kowenhoven. "Don't do it."

The note to Trump Jr. was post marked Feb. 7, according to investigators in an affidavit.

It read:

"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 F**** **!"

He also allegedly sent an envelope to US Attorney of the Central District of California Nicola Hanna and appeared to blame her for the suicide of a man who was indicted in a child porn case.

"That's for murdering Mark Salling! I hope you end up the same place as Salling," the note to her read.

He also allegedly sent an envelope to a Stanford University law professor who was involved in the efforts to recall Judge Aaron Persky, the Santa Clara County judge who sentenced Brock Turner the Stanford University athlete convicted of sexual assault, to six months confinement despite the prosecution's recommendation of six years in prison. The law professor represented the woman who Turner assaulted, identified as "Emily Doe."

"Since you are going to disrobe Persky, I am going to treat you like "Emily Doe". Let's see what kind of sentence I get for being a rich white male."

Another envelope was sent to US Senator Deborah Stabenow in connection with the sentencing of Dr. Larry Nassar (the USA gymnastics doctor who pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct in Michigan and admitted to using his medical position to assault and molest girls under the guise of medical treatment). Larry Margraves who had three daughters who said they were assaulted by Nassar tried to attack Nassar but was restrained by court security. After that incident Stabenow said she wished court security had been a little slower in restraining Margraves.

"If you condone Margraves reaction to his daughter's testimony on Dr. Nassar, you are no better than he is. You deserve what is coming to you...."

The fifth letter, written in script was sent to Antonio Sabato Jr. in Los Angeles. Sabato is running for a fedral congressional seat in California as a Republican.

"You are an awful person I am surprised that that olive skin mouth isn't orange. Since you think Obama is still a practicing Muslim that makes you a filthy ****. Since **** like you never change. You and McCAin Jr. Belong together in hell, because that is where you're going not Christian heaven. You know what your party does with *****."

The maximum prison time for threatening a public figure is 10 years in prison. Frisiello is scheduled for a hearing on Monday.

The FBI told the charity that the charges do not involve any activity in his role at Catholic Charities, according to the statement.

The spokesperson said Catholic Charities performed a background check on Frisiello when he was hired and they are cooperating with the FBI investigation, which is ongoing.

The morning raid:

Neighbors of 62 Hathaway Ave., where Frisiello appears to have lived with his parents, said they heard what they thought might be a power transformer exploding around 8 a.m., and then power on the street to went out, the Salem News first reported.

About a minute later, at some four FBI cars came down the street and stopped at the home, Richard Faille, who lives across the street told the Salem News.

He said he saw several agents wearing protective vests and FBI JTTF jackets, as well as members of the FBI Evidence Response Team, going in and out carrying bags and various items, including a laptop computer.

See the Salem News Article here.

Stay tuned for more.

Photo courtesy US Attorney's office