Former teacher pleads guilty to sending suspicious powder to Poinciana school and 3 others

A former elementary school teacher has pleaded guilty to sending suspicious power to a Poinciana school and three others after she was fired from all four.

 Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann stated that Maria Bassi Lauro, 66, of Davenport,  pleaded guilty to sending threatening mailings containing suspicious powder to elementary schools throughout Central Florida, including Laurel Elementary in Poinciana,
 Lauro faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, beginning in August 2018, Lauro sent threatening mailings to employees at four Central Florida elementary schools where she had worked as a teacher: Citrus Ridge Academy and Four Corners Charter School in Davenport, Groveland Elementary School in Groveland and Laurel Elementary School in Poinciana.
All four of the mailings contained a suspicious powder, and three of the mailings included notes indicating they were “punishment.” Law enforcement and HAZMAT-trained personnel responded to each of the schools after employees opened the mailings and found the unidentified powder.  Ultimately, after testing, authorities determined each of the powder in the mailing was just baking soda.

Lauro had  been fired for poor performance from each of the schools. In the letters she sent, she stated that the schools played a role in her performance review and her terminations.

In her plea agreement, Lauro admitted she had sent the mailings because she was upset with the schools, and admitted she wanted them to believe the powder was a deadly biological toxin.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel George.