United States Department of Justice

United States Attorney’s Office

District of Minnesota

B. Todd Jones,
United States Attorney
Jeanne F. Cooney
News Release
Director of Community Relations
(612) 664-5611
email: jeanne.cooney@usdoj.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, January 7, 2010
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/MN

Faribault woman sentenced for making bomb threats

against post offices
A 39-year-old Faribault woman was sentenced in federal court late this afternoon for
making bomb threats against eight United States post offices in southern Minnesota. In
Minneapolis, United States District Court Judge John Tunheim sentenced Christina Anne
Reineke to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release on one count of sending a
threatening communication. Reineke was indicted on April 21, 2009, and pleaded guilty on
September 9, 2009.

In her plea agreement, Reineke admitted mailing threatening letters to the post offices in
Mankato, North Mankato, Lake Crystal, Madelia, New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, St. James, and
LeCenter on February 4, 2009. The letters indicated that the post offices would be bombed, and
postal employees and customers would die. The letters also stated, “Everyone deserves to die.
May all of you blow up in smoke.”

“Our investigation into the crimes committed by Ms. Reineke continues to demonstrate the
high priority our agency places on the safety and security of United States Postal Service
employees and customers,” said Postal Inspector J.D. Long, public information officer for the
Postal Inspection Service’s St. Paul Field Office.

According to a USPIS affidavit, the letters received by the post offices did not disclose
when or how the bombings would occur. Moreover, the letters, which were postmarked from
Mankato, failed to display return addresses, although postal inspectors determined they were
most likely mailed from New Ulm.

Reineke moved to New Ulm from Faribault after being released from Minnesota state prison
in November 2008. She had been serving a 27-month sentence for making terroristic threats
against Minnesota State Representative Jeanne Poppe, Minnesota State Senator Dan Sparks, and
Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm. She was living in New Ulm when the bomb threats were sent to the
post offices.

A March 27, 2009, a search of Reineke’s residence by law enforcement officials yielded
notebook paper that matched the paper used to write the bomb threats. It also led to the discovery
of a planner listing the addresses of the targeted post offices as well as an envelope containing
three newspaper articles about the threats.

This case was the result of an investigation by the USPIS, with assistance from the
Minnesota Department of Corrections and the Faribault Police Department. It was prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.

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