A suburban Chicago man has pleaded guilty to obtaining a deadly puffer-fish poison for use as a weapon.
Authorities say Edward F. Bachner IV wanted to use it to kill his wife and collect on a $20 million insurance policy.
The Lake in the Hills man pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom in Rockford to knowingly possessing the toxin for use as a weapon, wire fraud and filing a false tax claim.
Authorities arrested Bachner in 2008 after he picked up a package containing the toxins.
Court documents say four milligrams of the toxin can kill a human and that Bachner had ordered 98 milligrams.
The man in his late 30s faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Longtime Alabama Dentist Charged With Insurance Fraud in 2025 Office Explosion 
Howden-Driven Talent War Has Cost Brown & Brown $23M in Revenue, CEO Says 
Why Power Outages Do More Economic Damage Than We Think 
GEICO Settles Call-Center Worker Suits for $940,000; Attorneys Get Half 
