Judge mulling release of Lake in the Hills man who had deadly toxin
A judge is considering whether to allow a Lake in the Hills man to be free on bond while awaiting trial on charges that he amassed deadly toxin derived from puffer fish.
Edward F. Bachner IV, has been held at the Ogle County Jail since June 30, when authorities raided his suburban home.
Bachner, 35, is accused of posing as a researcher to acquire tetrodotoxin five times between November 2006 and June 30, 2008.
A federal indictment does not state what Bachner planned to do with the toxin, also known as TTX, which causes paralysis or death if ingested in small quantities.
On Friday, Bachner's attorney, James Marcus, argued in federal court in Rockford that his client was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community.
Marcus said Bachner is willing to submit to home detention or electronic monitoring and both he and his parents would post their homes - a total value of $1 million - as bond.
Bachner would stay at his parents' house in south suburban Homer Glen.
Prosecutors argued that some of the TTX is not accounted for and the raid on Bachner's home also turned up 50 knives and books on how to poison people.
U.S. District Court Judge Frederick Kapala said he would take the argument under advisement and would a ruling - but gave no date for doing so.