The poison ricin was identified in an amount estimated at a few hundred millionths of a gram. The arrest was made on a sealed indictment handed up in Alaska on Dec. 12, which charged Mr. Lavy with possession of a toxic substance with the intent to use it as a weapon Ms. Casey said. Federal officials said the charges arose from an effort that Mr. Lavy made in April 1993 to cross to Canada from Alaska, at Beaver Creek, while carrying the 130 grams of ricin. They confiscated the white powder, which he had told them was a poison he was using to kill coyotes preying on his chickens. Federal officials indicated there had been a delay in the Canadians notifying them of the nature of the white powder.
Chemists say the tests to identify ricin are extremely difficult and sophisticated.
He said Mr. Lavy was believed to have worked on the Alaska pipeline and seem to have retired. He said Mr. Lavy was pleasant but spoke little to his neighbors. The F.B.I. agents appeared in the area about Friday, Sheriff Black said, creeping up on the house from a cemetery. The castor plant, which is readily available, has purplish-green, redveined leaves shaped like starfish. Federal officials said Mr. Lavy told them he had bought his beans by mail from a woman in Oregon.