Former Home Depot employee pleads guilty to charges of fake anthrax
By
Posted 6:09PM on Tuesday, January 29, 2002
PHILADELPHIA - A fired Home Depot employee pleaded guilty Tuesday in Philadelphia to pulling an anthrax hoax that forced the shutdown of one of the hardware stores for five days. <br>
<br>
Robert Gibson of West Chester could get up to life in prison on federal charges of threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction. Sentencing was set for May second. <br>
<br>
Gibson sent envelopes containing white powder and notes saying the substance was anthrax to Home Depot stores in Frazer and Downingtown in October. The powder did not contain anthrax, but the Frazer store, where both envelopes were opened, was shut down for days. <br>
<br>
Gibson was fired from Home Depot, which has headquarters in Atlanta, in 2000.
