Posted on 09/03/2010 11:27:11 AM PDT by La Lydia
Scientist found with suspicious item at airport did prison time for plague sample flap -- A world-renowned Texas scientist specializing in infectious diseases who was once charged with smuggling dangerous samples of plague bacteria into the U.S. was questioned by authorities after a suspicious item found in his luggage caused a massive evacuation at Miami International Airport Thursday night. Dr. Thomas C. Butler, 70, was questioned by agents with the FBI and Miami-Dade police Friday after a suspicious item was found in his checked luggage by a MIA baggage screener Thursday night, sources told NBC Miami....
Friday, it was learned that Butler was released from questioning and won't be charged...Authorities escorted him back to one of the terminals at MIA where he's expected to board a plane to Puerto Rico, which was his destination Thursday night...Butler had been coming from Saudi Arabia when the suspicious item was spotted in his luggage as it went through customs.
Butler had been on the faculty at Texas Tech since the late 80s until his arrest in 2003 on charges of smuggling and improperly transporting the plague samples, as well as theft, embezzlement and fraud. Butler told police that 30 vials containing the samples had been stolen from his lab. He was eventually found guilty of exporting the vials of plague and stealing research money...He's currently listed as a faculty member at Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia.
No kidding
“He’s currently listed as a faculty member at Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia.”
Bad link
This guy sounds like seriously bad news. I wonder if he was just testing if it would be possible to get something like that into the US.
I also am creeped out at the idea of the Saudis having this guy and his “products” on hand, and that he can just get on a plane and fly around with canisters full of plague and whatever else.
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Convicted-Disease-Doc-Questioned-in-MIA-Scare-102151329.html
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