Lengthy Prison Sentence For Man Who Sent Romantic Rival Ricin-Laced Birthday Card
By Jim Melwert
HATBORO, Pa. (CBS) -- A 20-year-old Hatboro man is sentenced to decades in prison in Bucks County court for sending a romantic rival a birthday card laced with a deadly poison.
Nicholas Helman was sentenced to 20-to-40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to several charges including attempted murder, attempted aggravated assault and risking a catastrophe.
Helman laced a scratch-and-sniff birthday card with homemade ricin and put the card in the mailbox of the home of a man dating his ex-girlfriend in March of last year.
But after he bragged to a co-worker about what he'd done, that co-worker alerted police who were able to get to the card first.
While behind bars, prosecutors say Helman tried to arrange for the kidnapping and murder of a prosecutor and a detective.