Actress Shannon Richardson will be spending the next 18 years behind bars, the Associated Press reported.
Richardson, who is known for her minor roles on "The Walking Dead," and "The Vampire Diaries," was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison for sending ricin-laced letters to government officials, including President Barack Obama and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Judge Michael H. Schneider gave the 36-year-old actress the maximum sentence under her plea deal for federal charges of "possessing and producing a biological toxin." Schneider also ordered Richardson to pay restitution of about $367,000.
Richardson reportedly blamed the incident on her husband Nathaniel Richardson, who filed for divorce in 2013. The actress used her husband's email address, P.O. Box and PayPal account to purchase the materials used to make the toxin.
"After he left the house, I printed the mailing labels for President Barack Obama, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze with The Raben Group," the plea agreement read.
FBI authorities stated the letters contained "very low concentrations" of the toxin, according to CNN. The letters were found by government security and never reached its recipients.
Authorities said Richardson was found to be "deceptive" during a polygraph exam, but she later told authorities that she did not think the letters would be opened due to security measures.
Ricin is an incurable toxin that can be fatal if inhaled or swallowed.
According to court documents one of the letters read, "You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. The right to bear arms is my constitutional god-given right. What's in this letter is nothing compared to what I've got planned for you...Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face."
Richardson, who is a mother of six, apologized in court before being sentenced and asked for "mercy and compassion."
"I never intended for anybody to be hurt," she told the court, according to USA Today. "I'm not a bad person; I don't have it in me to hurt anyone... I do love my country, and I respect my president."
