Washington man mailed fake bomb, severed finger to IRS, authorities say

Washington man mailed fake bomb, severed finger to IRS, authorities say

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OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Washington state man who authorities say admitted to mailing his own severed finger to the IRS in 2016 faces federal charges for allegedly sending a fake bomb to the IRS office in Ogden, Utah, last week.

Normand O. Lariviere, 68, of Olympia, Washington, was charged with mailing a threat to injure after IRS workers in Ogden discovered a package July 6 containing a 6-inch long galvanized pipe with a fuse coming out of one end, according to a federal complaint. About 300 employees were evacuated from the building.

The pipe had blue tape on it along with the words "kilroy was here" and "MKII Mod 9" written in marker. The fuse was attached to a whistle inside the 2-inch diameter pipe. The package also contained letters the IRS had sent Lariviere and an undated photograph of him, the complaint said.

When asked in an interview with federal agents whether he thought the device would scare IRS workers, Lariviere said, "good, I knew they would be concerned, that wasn't my concern, I wasn't going to let that hold me back," the complaint says.

Charging documents say Lariviere also sent his own severed finger, a bullet and a marijuana cigarette to the IRS in 2016. The complaint says he later showed IRS agents the homemade device he used to cut off his finger.

Court documents say Lariviere, a Navy veteran, has been upset with several federal agencies since the Navy laid him off from his job as a civilian electrician in the early 1990s.

He has sent several documents to the IRS about the legality of the tax code. He doesn't believe he should pay taxes because the government isn't paying attention to his claims, according to the complaint.

Lariviere told agents the government is turning him into a "jihadi" and that "I feel like I'm self-radicalized," court documents say. Asked what he would do if he doesn't get his desired response from the government, he said, "I don't have a choice if I don't get an answer. Many things I could do. I'm not going to say … I'm not going to tip my hand."

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