Alexander Joseph Jordan, 21, who was arrested Feb. 27, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing the deadly biological toxin ricin. He is in federal custody.

The U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release that paramedics and police went to Jordan’s home on Horseshoe Loop Feb. 22 in response to a report that he was in distress. At UAMS, he said he’d ingested ricin, a protein produced in the castor oil plant. A few grains of purified ricin powder can be lethal.

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Jordan told officers he’d produced two Mason jars of ricin after learning how to make it on the Internet.  He said he was encouraged by the TV series about a chemist drug dealer, “Breaking Bad.”

Officers found jars containing a white substance and a blender with material that tested positive for ricin. They found an order for castor beans from Amazon and paperwork that appeared to be a shopping list and instructions for ricin production.

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He’s charged specifically one count of knowingly possessing ricin without obtaining a registration, as required by the Public Health Service Act. That charge can carry a sentence up to five years.

The news release identified Jordan as a resident of Little Rock, but earlier press accounts says his home is in Saline County.

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