Winslow man accused of making poisonous biological weapon
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Winslow man is facing federal charges after he was arrested for the possession or attempted manufacturing of the poison ricin, according to court documents.
Jason Clampit, 43, was arrested on Jan. 24 on a possession of a prohibited biological weapon, namely ricin, and/or attempted production of ricin charge.
According to an affidavit, an anonymous caller alerted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office that Clampit may have poisoned his own mother with ricin. That tip was relayed to the FBI.
Text messages between Clampit and his sister from November 2023 were included in the affidavit. In the messages, Clampit said he made and used ricin to scare people away from his property.
He told his sister, “I made it to get people to stay out of our woods. There’s a group of
thieves out here called the Owlers. They snoop around watching people at night. They dress in gilly suits and hide in the bushes. So I made this stuff and set up traps in the woods.”
Rogers woman arrested after child tested positive for THC
Clampit also mentioned in the text messages that he became sick after touching a ricin solution.
Clampit’s sister told authorities that he likes plants and has told her about knowing plant extractions.
On Jan. 24, Clampit was arrested in Fayetteville for violating his parole and his vehicle was searched. Parole officers found hydrocodone, according to the document.
Later that day, Arkansas State Parole and Probation officers found castor beans on a shelf in a trailer on Clampit’s property.
According to the CDC, ricin is a poison found in castor beans.
During a second search, officers found “a significant amount” of castor beans, a jar of suspected liquid ricin, a coffee grinder that officers believe was used to make ricin and a revolver.
Clampit has a court date set for Feb. 26 and is being held at the Washington County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
