WASHINGTON — A Georgetown University student accused of making the biological toxin ricin in his dorm room enters his second month in jail today.
It was March 21 when federal agents arrested and jailed Daniel Milzman, three days after he tossed a sealed plastic bag at the feet of a friend and told him that making ricin was one of the hardest things he ever did.
The federal law that Milzman is accused of violating — possession of a biological toxin — carries a possible 10-year prison term.
Milzman’s lawyers say the 2012 graduate of Bethesda’s Walt Whitman High School suffers from mental illness and intended to harm no one but himself. He has been receiving treatment while in a D.C. jail.
But the court, unsure whether Milzman planned to harm only himself or attack someone else with biological toxin, has ruled that he must remain in pretrial detention.
A status hearing for Milzman is scheduled for May 1 in federal court.
Related Stories:
- Georgetown student faces federal charges for ricin possession
- Report: Georgetown ricin suspect may have made threats
- Judge: Georgetown ricin suspect must stay behind bars
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