Blaine Man Admits Sending White Powder To Local FBI To Frame Family

ST. PAUL, MN — A Blaine man has admitted to sending letters containing white powder to the local FBI office. He later told agents he disguised the mailings to appear as if they came from a family member with whom he had a personal dispute, hoping to prompt an investigation into that individual.

Oleg Petrashov, 45, pleaded guilty Wednesday to intentionally conveying false or misleading information that could reasonably be perceived as a biological agent or explosive. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

On June 30, 2020, Petrashov mailed a manila envelope containing a brown and tan powder to the FBI Field Office in Brooklyn Park, authorities said.

On Nov. 4, 2022, Petrashov mailed a second envelope containing a white powder to the same FBI Field Office, according to prosecutors.

According to the FBI, both mailings were examined for explosive and biological agents, prompting major disruptions at the field office. The response included temporarily relocating employees, initiating decontamination procedures, and deploying special agent bomb technicians.

The case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott for the District of Minnesota and Patrick Cashman of the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.