JACKSON, Miss. – A man charged with sending poison-laced letters to President Barack Obama and other officials has pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to recruit someone to send another ricin-tainted letter.
James Everett Dutschke was scheduled for an arraignment Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Oxford, but his lawyer filed waived that appearance and entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.
Dutschke has been jailed since April on charges of sending ricin-tainted letters to Obama, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and a Mississippi judge.
A new indictment filed Nov. 20 says Dutschke tried to recruit someone from jail to make more ricin and send it to Wicker, a Republican.
The indictment says the 42-year-old was again trying to frame Elvis impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis, the man he's accused of trying to set up the first time.
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