United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

MAN ADMITS POSSESSING CYANIDE

AMARILLO, Texas — A man who was indicted in June on three felony counts stemming from his arrest the previous month for possessing sodium cyanide, pled guilty Wednesday in federal court in Amarillo, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Jeffrey Don Detrixhe, 38, of Higgins, (Lipscomb County), Texas, pled guilty to one count of prohibition against chemical weapons. Detrixhe faces a maximum statutory sentence of any term of years, including life, and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson on November 12, 2008.

On May 13, 2008, Detrixhe was arrested in Oklahoma where he had gone to attend his brother-in-law’s funeral. A search warrant was executed at his property and a barrel was discovered, later determined to contain approximately 62 pounds of sodium cyanide. After being Mirandized, Detrixhe admitted that he possessed the cyanide and had agreed to sell it, through his friend, to “Fat Bob.” Detrixhe further admitted that he knew from his friend that “Fat Bob” was associated with the Aryan Brotherhood and that he had second thoughts about selling it because it would probably be used for a bad purpose. Detrixhe admitted that he knowingly possessed and attempted to transfer the sodium cyanide and at the time he had no peaceful, protective, military or law enforcement purpose for it.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Drake of the Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

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