Man indicted in anthrax hoax against Groton mosque
A federal grand jury has indicted the man who allegedly mailed a white, powdery substance to the Islamic Center of New London last September, according to a court announcement Thursday.
In the 16-count indictment, Gary Joseph Gravelle, also known as Roland Prejean, has been charged with threatening to kill and injure people in Connecticut and beyond. Gravelle, a 51-year-old New Haven resident, claimed to be part of the white separatist organization American Knights of Anarchy, the indictment says.
The incident in Groton is one of three counts related to the sending of hoax anthrax letters; the indictment also includes 12 counts of maliciously conveying false information about an explosive and one count of making threats against the president.
The indictment alleges that on or about Sept. 4 of last year, Gravelle mailed an envelope to the Islamic Center of New London with a white, powdery substance, and a piece of paper reading "You [naviga:u]Die[/naviga:u]" and "Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium [naviga:u]Bacillus anthracis[/naviga:u], a category A agent."
At the time, mosque member Said Ali said after opening the envelope, he immediately called City of Groton police, who responded along with firefighters and the FBI.
Gravelle also was charged with sending the substance and the same message to the New Haven branch of the NAACP and to Congregation Adath Israel.
Gravelle allegedly tried to send the president an envelope with a white, powdery substance and a letter reading, "I, Gary Gravelle ... as a faithful soldier of the AKA, am coming to [naviga:u]KILL[/naviga:u] [naviga:u]Donald Trump[/naviga:u]."
The indictments say Gravelle conveyed false information about an explosive at the Fellowship House, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Continuum of Care and NAACP in New Haven; Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building in Hartford; Old Saybrook Center; First Bristol Federal Credit Union; Burlington International Airport in Vermont; Federal Detention Center SeaTac in Seattle; and a probation officer's house.
Gravelle made the alleged threats via email, phone and handwritten mail.
He was arrested Sept. 8, 2018, for violating the terms of his supervised release, having been sentenced in 2013 for sending "threatening communications," according to a news release from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
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