Woman Mailed Explosives To Texas Gov. Abbott, Obama: Court Docs

A Texas woman is accused of mailing improvised explosive devices to the offices of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and to former President Obama at the White House in October of last year, according to court documents filed in Texas last week. The documents also allege that the woman mailed explosives to the Social Security Administration in Washington D.C.

Julia Poff, 46, has been charged with injurious articles as nonmailable, transportation of explosives with intent to kill and injure, supplemental nutrition assistance program fraud and false declaration in bankruptcy, according to court documents.

According to the court documents, Abbott opened the package that was mailed to his office but it did not explode because he did not open it as designed. The court documents say that had the device exploded, it could have caused serious injuries or death. A case agent testified that Poff was upset with Abbott and the Texas Attorney General because she had not received support from her ex-husband, the documents show.

A similar device that was mailed to Obama at the White House was detected during screening and rendered safe, the documents say. Cat hair that was found under the mailing label matched one of Poff's cats and Poff had said she did not like the president, the documents allege.

Poff also mailed a package to the Social Security Administration in Maryland, according to the documents. The case agent testified that Poff's application for social security benefits had been denied.

The documents say that a search of Poff's residence found a large number of fireworks in her garage.

According to the court documents, Poff asked her friends not to talk to the FBI. She also set up a fund to solicit donations for a widowed father and young child after Hurricane Harvey and while she gave the father the clothes collected, she kept the money, the documents say.

Poff is being held at the Houston federal detentions center.

Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press