WINSLOW, Ark. — A Winslow man was arrested by FBI agents after investigators allegedly found evidence that he was producing ricin, a highly toxic substance considered to be a weapon of biological warfare.
On Jan. 12, 2024, the Washington County Sheriff's Office contacted the FBI after they fielded an anonymous tip of someone reporting that they had reason to believe that Jason Clampit may have poisoned himself and his mother, federal documents say.
"I investigate national security matters related to domestic, international terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction," the investigating FBI agent said in the affidavit supporting the arrest of Clampit.
In text messages obtained by investigators, Clampit talks about how he "hasn't done extractions in a long time" but that he's "figured out the code now. And I know I was right about which part contains the alkaloids I was seeking."
To obtain ricin toxin, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) says it has to be extracted from castor beans then purified and treated in either a pellet, white powder, or dissolved in water or acid to become a liquid.
"In the texts, Clampit speaks about ricin, water, and lye and how some of the mixture leaked out of the bottle and made him sick," the FBI said, adding that in a basic online search for ricin, lye is a suggested ingredient for extraction.
Clampit said he was making the ricin to deter a group of thieves called "owlers" who reportedly dressed in gilly suits, hid in bushes, and watched people at night near his property. "So I made this stuff and set up traps in the woods," his texts read.
The FBI said at some point while Clampit was reportedly extracting ricin, his mother got sick and was in the hospital for a week.
On Jan. 24, Arkansas State Parole and Probation officers, along with the Bentonville Bomb Squad, went to Clampit's residence in Winslow and made contact with Clampit's girlfriend who told police if Clampit had castor beans, it would be in a trailer under a tent on the property.
During the search warrant, investigators said officials found
- a significant amount of castor beans
- jar of suspected liquid ricin
- coffee grinder containing suspected ricin
- revolver
Clampit was arrested and faces federal charges of knowingly possessing a biological toxin for use as a weapon.
His last court date was Feb. 5, where he was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.