One Down

One less jerk mailing threatening letters filled with white powder. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have arrested a man who attempted to send two threatening letters to places president Bush is scheduled to appear. The man, an engineer at the closed Rancho Seco nuclear power plant, is suspected of sending 51 such letters - usually filled with baking soda and multiple threats against the president, first lady, vice president and just about anyone else he could think of.

Michael Lee Braun, 51, was appeared in court Monday on two federal charges of sending threats through the mail. The FBI said he also is a suspect in mailing dozens of similar threats since shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The charges are connected to two letters prosecutors said Braun mailed on Thursday to the Serrano Country Club and Serrano Visitors Center in El Dorado Hills, a tony community in the foothills east of Sacramento. Bush plans to appear at the club Tuesday afternoon in a campaign event for U.S. Rep. John Doolittle (news, bio, voting record), R-Calif.

The letters contained threats to Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Doolittle, according to an FBI statement.

"Anytime somebody's out there threatening offices and public servants, it's unnerving to say the least," Doolittle spokeswoman Laura Blackann said.

Spokesmen for the Secret Service declined comment.

A federal affidavit said that Braun has sent a total of 51 threatening letters since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The letters threatened the lives of the president, Cheney, First Lady Laura Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the affidavit said.

"Each of the letters contained a written threat, usually death by some kind of WMD agent (anthrax, toxic chemical poison, radioactive dust or improvised explosives) and some unknown, white, powdery substance, or items simulating a possible letter/package improvised explosive device," the affidavit said.

Authorities had the man under surveillance and watched him mail the two letters. They recovered the evidence and immediately executed warrants searching the man's home and offices.