By Denny Walsh
dwalsh@sacbee.com
Marc McMain Keyser, the Sacramento resident who sprayed the nation with more than 100 fake anthrax mailings in October 2008, was ordered Monday to pay $6,677.70 in restitution to two fire departments, a police department, a laboratory and a congressman for costs stemming from receipt of packages.
Restitution may be assessed only in connection with hoax packages for which Keyser was convicted and, while they were mailed all across the country, he was charged with only 10 of them and a jury found him guilty of only three of those.
U. S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. ordered Keyser to pay the Sacramento Fire Department $609.06 for its response to packages delivered to a Starbucks coffeehouse and McDonald's fast-food restaurant.
He was ordered to pay $2,438.79 to the Modesto Fire Department; $748.29 to the Modesto Police Department, and $1,200 to Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, for costs associated with receipt of a package at the congressman's Modesto office.
Finally, Keyser was ordered to pay $1,681.56 to Sacramento County's Division of Health, where samples of the substance were tested and found to be sugar.
Keyser, 68, is serving a prison sentence of four years and three months imposed by Damrell in April, but he is still in the Sacramento jail because he was required to be in court Monday.
His attorney filed a four-page written statement by Keyser on Friday, in which he sounded his now-familiar refrain that he is a whistleblower and his actions were a test "to prove scientifically" that the Department of Homeland Security's ability to protect citizens from a real anthrax attack "is a fraud."
When asked Monday by the judge, Keyser chose not to speak. Had he said something, it likely would have drawn fire from Damrell, who has no patience with Keyser's rationale.
Call The Bee's Denny Walsh, (916) 321-1189.
Previous coverage:
hAnthrax hoax perpetrator gets 4-year prison term - April 27, 2010
Sacramentan convicted for sending anthrax hoax messages - Sept. 18, 2009
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