A Sacramento man has been ordered to pay nearly $7,000 for an anthrax hoax that targeted several businesses, media outlets and Congressman George Radanovich’s Modesto office.A federal judge ruled Marc M. Keyser, 68, will have to pay the victims and emergency personnel who responded to his hoax. Earlier this year Keyser was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.Keyser admitted to mailing over 100 packages containing fake anthrax to media outlets and politicians throughout the country and to Starbucks and McDonalds in Sacramento. Keyser was convicted by a jury on Sept. 17, 2009, of three counts of committing an anthrax hoax and two counts of mailing threatening communications. The restitution ordered was divided as follows: Modesto Fire Department — costs of response to the scene: $2,438.79; Modesto Police Department — costs of response to the scene: $748.29; Office of U.S. Congressman George Radanovich — costs of office closure: $1,200; Sacramento Fire Department — costs of response to the scenes: $609.06; and Sacramento County Public Health Lab — costs of testing packages: $1,681.56To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
Anthrax hoax costly for Sacramento man
