Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that OKAMI LANDA was sentenced to 130 months in prison for possession of child pornography and for sending a threatening, powder-filled letter to a federal agent who previously investigated and arrested him.
This significant prison term demonstrates the judicial system's commitment to holding repeat offenders accountable and ensuring that those who engage in such criminal behavior face substantial penalties.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Okami Landa has twice been convicted in this District of possessing child pornography. Today’s sentence holds Landa accountable not only for his participation in the exploitation and victimization of young children, but also for his intolerable decision to retaliate against the FBI by sending a terrifying, powder-filled letter to the agent who investigated him. This Office stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the dedicated FBI agents who investigate crimes against children. Their work should never make them targets of reprisal.”
In November 2021, LANDA, who had previously been convicted of possessing child pornography in 2016 and sentenced to two years in prison, sent a threatening letter filled with white powder to an FBI agent. This agent had previously interviewed and arrested LANDA in connection with his earlier child pornography conviction. The letter, opened by the FBI agent in a forensic laboratory at an FBI office in Manhattan, contained a white powdery substance and a threatening message that included statements like, “Hope you and your ugly cracker children and family get what you deserved, a slow, painful and terminal disease to end your sorry life.” The letter triggered an emergency response from the FBI’s weapons and mass destruction team, which sealed the laboratory and examined the powder, later finding it to be non-toxic. Due to this incident, the FBI agent and other personnel in the vicinity were quarantined and hospitalized for medical evaluation.
The FBI's investigation led to the identification of the stamp used on the letter, which was traced back to a purchase made with a credit card belonging to LANDA’s mother, who lived with him in the Bronx. At the time, LANDA was on federal supervised release for his earlier child pornography conviction and had made threats against law enforcement, expressing a desire to “blow up Federal Plaza because I hate the feds and they ruined my life.” During a search of LANDA's residence following an FBI interview, law enforcement found multiple electronic devices, including a USB drive containing 11 child pornography files depicting prepubescent girls and adult men engaged in sexual acts.
In addition to his prison sentence of 130 months, LANDA, 41, from the Bronx, New York, received 10 years of supervised release. The prosecution commended the outstanding work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprising investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies.
The case was prosecuted by the National Security and International Narcotics Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Matthew J.C. Hellman leading the prosecution.
