There’s angry, and then there’s really, really angry. An Olympia, Washington man is under investigation after he allegedly sent a fake bomb to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Normand Lariviere has officially been charged with communicating a threat to injury through the mail in violation of Title 18, Unites States Code, Section 876(c).
It wasn’t the first time that the 68-year-old man has sent the IRS a threatening package. Authorities say that 68-year-old Lariviere had previously mailed a marijuana cigarette, a bullet, and his own finger to the IRS as part of a series of protests. The finger was allegedly cut off with a homemade device which Lariviere later showed to authorities.
According to the complaint, Lariviere was laid off in the early 1990s from his job as a civilian defense contractor. A veteran, Lariviere had “several grievances” with a number of federal agencies including the IRS, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Last year, Lariviere advised the IRS that he did not believe he should have to pay taxes because the agencies have not paid attention to his claims. That’s when he sent the cigarette, the bullet, and the finger.
Interestingly, those items weren’t what got Lariviere arrested. On July 6, 2017, an IRS office in Ogden, Utah received a package containing a metal pipe fashioned to look like a bomb, complete with a cannon fuse. The device was covered with blue tape and the words “kilroy was here” and “MKII Mod 9” were written on the outside. Included in the package were a number of letters that the IRS had sent to Lariviere. And just for good measure, he included a photo of himself.
The package was reported to the local sheriff’s office. The bomb squad responded and the building was evacuated until the package was eventually deemed to be safe.
According to the complaint, Lariviere admitted to authorities that he sent the device which he had fashioned to look like a pipe bomb. Lariviere seemed satisfied that he had frightened IRS employees, telling investigators, “good, I knew they would be concerned, that wasn’t my concern, I wasn’t going to let that hold me back.” He admitted that he had another similar device at his home.
At questioning, Lariviere accused the U.S. government of turning him into a “jihadi” saying, “I feel like I am self-radicalized.” He also alluded to the fact that this might be his last act of defiance, telling one of the investigators that there were many things he might do if his claims are not resolved but “I’m not going to say… .I’m not going to tip my hand.”
According to court records, Lariviere was found to be ineligible for a court-appointed attorney and was ordered to hire an attorney. He remains behind bars pending a hearing scheduled for July 12.
