Police have arrested a man in Fort Myers in connection with two scenes involving hazardous materials, now confirmed to be linked as part of a single investigation.
Authorities say the suspect, Jesse William Korff, 30, has a previous conviction for trafficking deadly toxins and conspiring to murder a foreign national.
Investigators, including bomb experts and hazardous materials teams, are now examining chemical evidence recovered from both sites in Fort Myers and North Fort Myers.
Bomb experts, the FBI and dozens of firefighters are involved in the multi-agency response, which spans across Palm Tree Lane in Fort Myers and Harbor Drive in North Fort Myers.
According to the ATF, the agency is working with the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Fort Myers Police Department to investigate the presence of the suspicious materials in both locations.
On Monday, Fort Myers police evacuated homes and arrested one person after discovering a suspicious device.
Gulf Coast News has since learned the man arrested was Korff, according to the Fort Myers Police arrest report.
Korff was previously arrested by Homeland Security special agents on Jan. 18, 2014, in LaBelle, on charges that he sold the potentially deadly toxin abrin through an underground, Internet-based marketplace.
He pleaded guilty in Aug. 2014, on five counts of developing, producing, transferring and possessing toxins, five counts of smuggling toxins and one count of conspiring to murder a foreign national.
By Tuesday morning, ATF had taken over and confirmed that a second scene in North Fort Myers was part of the same investigation.
Harbor Drive and Lavin Lane were cordoned off with yellow tape, and a bomb squad truck from the sheriff’s office was on site. Drones from LCSO were deployed over the neighborhood near the base of the Edison Bridge.
The Fort Myers Fire Department joined crews at the North Fort Myers scene, where multiple firefighters were hosed off after interacting with potentially hazardous materials. ATF officials said they are examining those materials and interviewing witnesses.
Despite the large response, ATF officials said there is no immediate threat to the public, and no evacuations have been issued in North Fort Myers. The investigation is ongoing, and ATF said a full statement will be released soon.
This is a developing story.
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.