Yikes! Actress Shannon Guess Richardson will be spending the next 18 years in prison.
The aspiring star, who made minor appearances on The Walking Dead and The Blind Side, was sentenced to jail on Wednesday, July 16, after entering into a plea deal. Richardson, 36, was arrested in June 2013 after she sent ricin-laced letters to President Obama and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The letters, which FBI authorities said contained "very low concentrations" of the toxin according to CNN, were found and kept from harming their recipients. The text reportedly read, "You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. The right to bear arms is my constitutional God-given right. What's in this letter is nothing compared to what I've got planned for you… Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face."
Richardson initially blamed the letters on her estranged husband Nathaniel Richardson, who filed for divorce in 2013. However, authorities found discrepancies in her claims and later learned the actress had attempted to frame her former husband by setting up an email address, P.O. box, and PayPal account in his name, with which to purchase the materials that she used to make the toxic substance.
In December, Richardson pled guilty to charges of possessing and producing a biological toxin. The plea deal capped her jail sentence at a maximum of 18 years, which she will serve, in addition to paying restitution.
The mother to six, who resides in Texas, spoke out in court on Wednesday, according to USA Today. "I never intended for anybody to be hurt," she said. "I'm not a bad person. I don't have it in me to hurt anyone. I do love my country, and I respect my president."