Man is arrested in ricin-possession case
Roger Bergendorff, 57, is accused of keeping the deadly poison and several weapons in a Las Vegas motel room.
las vegas -- A man who told authorities that he first decided to manufacture the deadly poison ricin because it was "an exotic idea" was arrested today on federal charges that he was keeping the substance, along with several weapons, in a motel room here.
Roger Bergendorff, a 57-year-old graphic designer who was struggling financially, was hospitalized in February with respiratory problems, possibly from ricin exposure.
Several weeks later, authorities called to his room at the Extended Stay America discovered two .25-caliber semiautomatic pistols, a .22-caliber Ruger rifle, and a .22- caliber Browning pistol with a silencer, according to court papers.
Authorities also found "The Anarchists Cookbook" and other instructions detailing how to make ricin -- which comes from waste leftover from processing castor beans -- along with syringes, beakers and beans.
FBI tests later revealed that white or yellow powder found in the room was "crude" ricin, the court papers said. Bergendorff said he had no specific plans for it.
He told investigators that "there have been people who have made him mad over the years and he had thoughts about causing them harm. . . . However, he maintained that he never acted on those thoughts or plans."
Bergendorff could face up to 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine if convicted. He is scheduled to appear before a judge at 3 p.m. today.
Ricin's only legal use is cancer research. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fluid in the lungs and respiratory or organ failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bergendorff told investigators he first produced the poisonous substance in the 1990s while living in San Diego and also made it in Reno and possibly in Riverton, Utah, where he lived with his cousin.
The cousin, Thomas Tholen, 54, was indicted this month in Salt Lake City for allegedly failing to tell authorities about the ricin.
ashley.powers@latimes.com
