‘Walking Dead’ Guest Star Shannon Richardson Sentenced to 18 Years for Mailing Ricin to Obama

Yesterday the sentencing of Shannon Richardson, who had minor roles on TV’s ‘The Walking Dead’ and the Sandra Bullock movie ‘The Blind Side,’ took place yesterday. CBS News reports that Richardson was arrested last June for sending letters with the deadly toxin ricin to President Obama and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. Richardson pled guilty last December.

Richardson reportedly mailed the letters and then went to police to claim that her estranged husband, Nathan Richardson, was responsible for mailing them. However, inconsistencies with her story, as well as an investigation into her online purchases, led to Richardson’s arrest. The investigation revealed that she had made purchases for the materials required to make ricin online. She later confessed that she lied to authorities about her husband’s involvement.

Yesterday, Richardson told the court “I never intended for anybody to be hurt. I’m not a bad person. I don’t have it in me to hurt anyone.” Regardless of her statement, the judge sentenced the 36-year-old actress from Texas, to18 years in prison on a charge of possessing and producing a biological toxin. She has also been ordered to pay $367,000 in restitution.