UWO student charged in federal court in ricin case

A 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh student was charged Monday with possession of ricin, a federal offense that could bring him 10 years in prison.

Kyle Allen Smith was arrested Oct. 31 after Oshkosh police closed off a four-block area around the student's home at 803 Frederick St. while they executed a search warrant. He was arrested for first-degree recklessly endangering safety and had been held in the Winnebago County Jail while authorities determined whether he would face state or federal charges.

Smith was transferred to federal custody Monday from the Winnebago County Jail by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Winnebago County District Attorney Christian Gossett said no state level criminal charges will be filed in the case.

Authorities have released limited information about the investigation, but an affidavit in support for a search warrant filed in Winnebago County indicates the investigation began after two university professors raised concerns to campus police about Smith due to statements he made about extracting the toxic protein from castor beans.

A professor told the student he should consult with a biology professor, and Smith said, "They are all interested in life and I am interested in, like, ending it," according to the search warrant.

Ricin is a toxic poison that infects human cells and blocks their ability to synthesize protein, causing human organs to shut down and eventually causing death.

Items seized from the Frederick Street residence tested positive for ricin at the FBI lab in Quantico, Va., according to the Justice Department.

Jennifer K. Woldt: (920) 426-6676 or jwoldt@thenorthwestern.com; on Twitter, @ONW_Woldt.