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FBI: Puffer fish poison possession leads to man's arrest

  • Story Highlights
  • FBI: Edward Bachner tried to buy 98 milligrams of tetrodotoxin through the Web
  • Neurotoxin, commonly found in puffer fish species, can cause paralysis and death
  • Bachner was arrested after accepting a small amount from an undercover official
  • If convicted, the 35-year-old faces 10 years in prison
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CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- An Illinois man was charged with possession of a potentially deadly neurotoxin commonly found in puffer fish after the FBI led a raid at his home Monday.

Edward F. Bachner, 35, of Lake in the Hills, was charged with one count of illegal possession of a toxin, according to a federal complaint filed in U.S. district court. Bachner is listed as the corporate secretary of Rosetta Wireless Corp. in Naperville, in suburban Chicago.

Bachner was arrested after accepting a small amount of tetrodotoxin delivered by an undercover federal official at his home, the FBI said.

Tetrodotoxin is a neurotoxin that in large doses can cause paralysis and death. It's often linked to consumption of puffer fish, a delicacy from the Indian and Pacific oceans that can prove fatal if not prepared properly, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Bachner, using the alias Edmond Backer, attempted to purchase 98 milligrams of tetrodotoxin through the Web site of a New Jersey chemical company, according to the FBI. Bachner claimed he was a doctor working for Illinois-based EB Strategic Research, which does not exist.

The quantity of the toxin requested alarmed an employee at the chemical company, who alerted authorities, the FBI said.

Bachner appeared before a magistrate judge at the federal court in Rockford and is being held without bond until his next court appearance.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

Calls late Monday to Bachner's home and business went unanswered.

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