Man pleads guilty to mailing suspicious powder to the FBI

A 45-year-old Blaine man pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to mailing envelopes of powder to the FBI Field Office in Brooklyn Park, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Oleg Petrashov entered guilty pleas to two counts of false information/hoax. He admitted to intentionally conveying misleading information that could lead to the envelopes being perceived as an explosive.

Prosecutors say that on June 30, 2020, Petrashov mailed a manila envelope containing brown and tan powder to the FBI office. He mailed another envelope containing white powder on Nov. 4, 2022.

Petrashov admitted to sending the envelopes and said he made them appear to have been sent by a family member he was fighting with.

Both envelopes were examined for explosives and biological agents. Prosecutors say this caused “significant disruptions,” including the temporary relocation of employees, implementing decontamination protocols and deploying bomb technicians.