FBI arrests LaFargeville man, ‘Chinese Zodiac Killer’

ALBANY, New York (WWNY) - A LaFargeville man who allegedly claimed to be the “Chinese Zodiac KIller” and sent threatening letters throughout the northeast was arrested Thursday by the FBI.

Jesse Bartlett, 46, was ordered held without bail, at least until his next court appearance Monday.

A criminal complaint alleges Bartlett sent threatening communications in which he wrote that he killed people, ate their flesh, and that he intends to kill more people, including an unnamed bus driver.

The letters went to media outlets - WWNY got one last fall - government offices, houses of worship and private businesses throughout New York, as well as in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

The letter WWNY got was accompanied by a sheet of some sort of code or cypher.

The charge filed against Bartlett carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with assistance from the New York State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service.