Ohio Man Allegedly Mailed Letters With Feces To Dozens Of GOP Lawmakers

An Ohio man is facing federal charges for allegedly mailing letters containing feces to over 30 Republican lawmakers. Prosecutors said that Richard Steinle, 77, sent the letters to Republicans in Ohio, California, Kentucky, and Washington D.C.

The letters reportedly contained the words "pig" and "racist."

His targets included 25 state lawmakers in Ohio, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, and others. The letters were labeled with a fake return address and were intercepted by mailroom employees in the Ohio Statehouse and post offices in Cleveland and Akron before they were delivered.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service was tipped off that Steinle, who was a former Portage County Common Pleas Court mediator, may be responsible, and they began surveilling him at his home. Investigators watched as he mailed a letter addressed to Rep. Jordan while wearing gloves. When they retrieved the letter, they determined it contained feces.

Steinle was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond.

If convicted on the misdemeanor charge, he faces up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.