American arrested for ricin mails

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CORINTH: A man accused of mailing letters with suspected ricin to national leaders believed he had uncovered a conspiracy to sell human body parts on the black market and claimed “various parties within the government” were trying to ruin his reputation.

Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested yesterday at his home in Corinth,

near the Tennessee state line. He was jailed Oxford, Mississippi, a booking office who declined to give his name, said today.

Curtis had been living in Corinth since December, but local police had not had any contact with him prior to his arrest, Corinth Police Department Captain Ralph Dance said today. Since Corinth arrived in the town, he had been living in “government housing,” Dance said.

Authorities were waiting for definitive tests on intercepted letters that were addressed to President Barack Obama and Republican Senator Roger Wicker. Preliminary field tests can often show false positives for ricin.