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FBI searches home of freed anthrax suspect
Researcher says he'll fast until charges are dropped
In this story:February 22, 1998
- Detention hearing Monday for 2nd suspect
- Government lab still testing seized material
- Related stories and sites
Web posted at: 10:49 p.m. EST (0349 GMT)LOGANDALE, Nevada (CNN) -- FBI agents removed boxes full of materials from the home of William Leavitt Jr. Sunday -- a day after he was released from jail when tests proved the researcher possessed a harmless animal vaccine instead of a biological weapon.
Meanwhile, Leavitt told Reuters in a telephone interview Sunday that he would fast and pray until his name is cleared in the anthrax scare. Leavitt, who is a former Mormon bishop, said he had begun a juice-and-water fast and was concerned that national coverage of his case could harm the reputation of the Mormon church.
"I want all of the charges dropped," he said. "I want my name absolutely cleared. I want my government to know I have total respect for them and I have absolutely zero thoughts of causing any kind of harm whatsoever."
Leavitt spoke from his mother's home in Las Vegas before leaving for a church service as more than a dozen FBI agents descended on his property in the small farming community of Logandale, 50 miles from Las Vegas.
Detention hearing Monday for 2nd suspect
Neighbors said the agents had been searching the home and an adjacent shed since Wednesday, when Leavitt was arrested along with Larry Wayne Harris, who was on probation for an earlier conviction and remains in jail. Harris is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing on Monday.
The FBI says its investigation into both men continues even though authorities announced Saturday that a substance confiscated from Leavitt and Harris turned out to be a harmless anthrax vaccine instead of the ingredients of a biological weapon.
Leavitt's lawyer, Lamond Mills, called the FBI's search "a fishing expedition" and said he planned to visit the home to "see what kind of shape the house is in and what they've taken."
"I think they're embarrassed, and I think they're looking for anything they can find to bring charges against Bill Leavitt," Mills said.
Kirby Wells, another attorney for Leavitt, said Leavitt himself may travel to his home to check on the FBI's activities. Wells also said Leavitt is confident agents will find nothing illegal there.
FBI agents at the scene, who declined to comment, were seen removing boxloads of materials from a building next to Leavitt's house. The boxes were placed into a large rental truck.
Government lab still testing seized material
Also on Sunday, a government lab was still testing material seized from Harris's Lancaster, Ohio, home to determine if it is a dangerous and illegal biological agent, federal sources said. Harris is on probation for a 1995 conviction for illegally obtaining the bubonic plague bacteria.
Leavitt and Harris were arrested on Wednesday in Henderson, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, on charges of possessing a biological agent for use as a weapon. Leavitt was released from jail Saturday night on his own recognizance.
Although the anthrax vaccine is legal and safe, the charges were still pending against the men. Leavitt's attorneys said federal prosecutors should drop the charges. Harris' attorney did not return calls for comment over the weekend.
Leavitt's attorneys say he had no intention of using the material as a weapon but wanted to use it to test an unorthodox disease-killing machine he was considering buying for $2 million from a man who became an FBI informant.
The informant, Ronald Rockwell, has said he turned in Leavitt and Harris last week when Leavitt claimed to possess military-grade anthrax, which could kill thousands of people. Leavitt's attorneys said Rockwell is a con artist who double-crossed Leavitt and Harris when the deal to buy the machine went sour.
Leavitt has a fire safety supply company in Las Vegas and has been involved in nontraditional research seeking cures for AIDS and multiple sclerosis.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CNN/Time Impact special assignment:
Related stories:
- One suspect in anthrax case released from custody - February 21, 1998
- FBI: Suspects in anthrax case to remain in custody - February 21, 1998
- Sources: Substance seized near Las Vegas non-lethal anthrax - February 21, 1998
- Man suspected of having anthrax predicted attack - February 20, 1998
- Testing of suspected anthrax begins - February 20, 1998
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) Frequently Asked Questions
- Outbreak - an on-line information service addressing emerging diseases
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