SARASOTA COUNTY DEPUTIES ARRESTED THE SECOND MAN INVOLVED IN THE JUSTICE CENTER HAZMAT INCIDENT IN PUNTA GORDA LAST WEEK. DEPUTIES TOOK 60 YEAR OLD ROBERT CHAPMAN INTO CUSTODY FRIDAY MORNING WITHOUT INCIDENT. CHAPMAN, WHO HAD BEEN STAYING WITH 67 YEAR OLD JOHN EMERY III AND HIS WIFE, IS ALLEGED TO HAVE GIVEN THE ENVELOPE WITH A BIOLOGICAL OR CHEMICAL AGENT TO EMERY, WHO IN TURN HANDED IT TO JUDGE PAUL ALESSANDRONI DURING HIS TRAFFIC RELATED HEARING LAST THURSDAY MORNING. THE JUSTICE CENTER BUILDING WAS IMMEDIATELY EVACUATED AND THE BOMB SQUAD WAS CALLED IN. THE ENVELOPE WAS SEALED IN A CONTAINER BY CHARLOTTE COUNTY HAZMAT OFFICIALS AND TURNED OVER TO THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO TRANSPORT TO TAMPA FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENTS. DETECTIVES SAY EMERY AND HIS WIFE WERE DRIVEN TO THE JUSTICE CENTER BY A MAN IN A SILVER KIA MINIVAN. IT WAS TOWED TO THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND WAS RETURNED. BOTH EMERY AND CHAPMAN ARE CHARGED WITH MANUFACTURE, POSSESSION, DELIVERY, ATTEMPTED OR THREATENED USE OF A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION. CHAPMAN IS BEING HELD IN THE SARASOTA COUNTY JAIL PENDING TRANSFER BACK TO THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY JAIL.
