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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 18 september 2024
The FBI is investigating suspicious packages sent to election

officials in at least 8 states

By SUMMER BALLENTINE and states quickly determined
STEVE LeBLANC the material was harmless.
Associated Press The FBI and postal service
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) were investigating.
— The FBI and U.S. Postal Oklahoma officials said the
Service on Tuesday were material sent to the elec-
investigating suspicious tion office there contained
packages that have been flour. Wyoming officials
sent to or received by elec- have not yet said if the ma-
tions officials in at least terial sent there was haz-
eight states, but there were ardous.
no immediate reports that “We have specific proto-
any of the packages con- cols in place for situations
tained hazardous material. such as this,” Iowa Secre-
The latest packages were tary of State Paul Pate said
sent to elections officials in a statement after the
in Massachusetts and Mis- evacuation of the six-story
souri, authorities said. The Lucas State Office Building
Missouri Secretary of State’s in Des Moines. “We imme-
Elections Division received diately reported the inci-
a suspicious package dent per our protocols.”
“from an unknown source,” A state office building in To-
spokesperson JoDonn peka, Kansas, was evacu-
Chaney said. He said mail- A hazmat crew from the National Guard’s Civilian Support Team investigates after a suspicious ated due to suspicious mail
room workers contained package was delivered to election officials at the Missouri Secretary of State’s Jefferson City, Mo., sent to both the secretary
the package and no inju- office on Tuesday Sept. 17, 2024. Associated Press of state and attorney gen-
ries were reported. eral, Kansas Highway Patrol
It marked the second time tion in what is already a postal service investigators which is now in the hands spokesperson April M. Mc-
in the past year that sus- tense voting season. had identified what they of the FBI. Collum said in a statement.
picious packages were Local election directors are described as a suspicious Powder-containing pack- Topeka Fire Department
mailed to election officials beefing up their security to envelope that had been ages were sent to secretar- crews found several pieces
in multiple state offices. The keep their workers and poll- delivered to a building ies of state and state elec- of mail with an unknown
latest scare comes as early ing places safe while also housing state offices. The tion offices in Iowa, Kansas, substance on them, though
voting has begun in several ensuring that ballots and package was intercepted Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyo- a field test found no haz-
states less than two months voting procedures won’t and isolated, according to ming and Oklahoma on ardous materials, spokes-
ahead of the high-stakes be tampered with. state officials. Monday. person Rosie Nichols said.
elections for president, On Tuesday, the FBI noti- No employees from the The packages forced Several employees in both
Senate, Congress and key fied the Massachusetts secretary of the common- evacuations in Iowa, Okla- offices had been exposed
statehouse offices around Secretary of the Com- wealth’s office had con- homa and Wyoming. to it and had their health
the nation, causing disrup- monwealth’s office that tact with the envelope, Hazmat crews in several monitored, she said.q

2 charged in case of illegal exports for Russian nuclear energy

BOSTON (AP) — Two men said Monday. export controls, commit aviation technology to Rus- UEMZ is a subsidiary of Ro-
have been charged with Sam Bhambhani, 55, of smuggling, and defraud sian companies in violation satom, a Russian state cor-
illegal smuggling and con- North Attleboro, Mass., and the United States. of U.S. sanctions. Two years poration that oversaw the
spiring to violate export Maxim Teslenko, 35, of Mos- “This case underscores our ago, the Biden administra- country’s civilian and mili-
controls by selling equip- cow, were each indicted unwavering commitment tion announced a series of tary nuclear program.
ment to Russia’s nuclear on one count of smuggling to enforcing U.S. export criminal charges and sanc- No one answered at a
energy industry, the U.S. and one count of conspir- laws and safeguarding tions related to a compli- phone number listed for
Attorney’s office in Boston acy to violate and evade national security,” Act- cated scheme to procure Bhambhani and it was un-
ing United States Attorney military technologies from clear if he has a lawyer.
Joshua Levy said in a state- U.S. manufacturers and ille- Bhambhani was arrested
ment. “The defendants are gally supply them to Russia Sept. 9 and released fol-
alleged to have engaged for its war in Ukraine. lowing a court appear-
in a sophisticated scheme From 2015 to 2021, prose- ance. Teslenko remains at
to evade export controls, cutors alleged that Bhamb- large overseas.
deceiving the government hani and Teslenko con- If convicted, the pair face
about the true destination spired to export laser weld- a sentence on the smug-
of sensitive technology and ing machines to the Ural gling charge of up to 10
putting critical national in- Electromechanical Plant, years in prison, three years
terests at risk.” or UEMZ, in Yekaterinburg, supervised release and a
Cases like the one involving Russia. fine of up to $250,000. The
Bhambhani and Teslenko The export documents conspiracy charge carries
are relatively common. In were allegedly falsified to a sentence of up to five
January, a Kansas business- conceal the fact that the years in prison, three years
The John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse is seen,
May 13, 2015, in Boston. man pleaded guilty to il- equipment was going to supervised release and a
Associated Press legally exporting sensitive UEMZ. fine of up to $250,000.q