A 47-year-old man from Massachusetts who was arrested on suspicion of sending threatening letters and substances to the OkCupid CEO has pleaded guilty.
Liam MacLeod admitted to sending nine letters between September and December 2017 to Ariel Charytan.
One of the letters contained a white powder that he said was anthrax, while another was stained with a substance which was alleged to be HIV-infected blood. However, both of these claims were dismissed upon further testing.
MacLeod was charged with mailing threatening communications and conveying false information concerning purported biological weapons. He has been sentenced to two years probation with eight months in a sober house on home confinement.
The incidents took place when MacLeod became angry after being banned from the online dating platform for repeatedly violating the terms of service.
He sent his first letter the following day which read: “Ban me will ya. Welcome to the wonderful world of ANTHRAX. Expect a package within the next couple of days. It won’t be ticking but it should be interesting!”
The mail was addressed to Charytan and sent to OkCupid’s Dallas headquarters, despite the CEO being based out of the New York office.
MacLeod also threatened an attack on Charytan’s personal vehicles by saying he has family ties to the notorious motorcycle gang Hells Angels.
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