In a chilling case of prison-based domestic terrorism, a Georgia inmate has been sentenced to 80 additional years in federal prison for mailing explosive devices to high-profile U.S. government buildings—including the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and a federal courthouse in Alaska.
Who Is the Inmate?
The defendant, legally identified as Lena Noel Summerlin (also named David Dwayne Cassady, 57, in court documents), was already serving a life sentence in Georgia for a 1992 conviction involving kidnapping, impersonating a police officer, and aggravated sodomy.
From inside the Georgia State Prison in Tattnall County, Summerlin constructed and mailed at least four improvised explosive devices through the U.S. Postal Service in early 2025.
Bomb Targets and Timeline
- Department of Justice headquarters – Washington, D.C.
- Federal courthouse – Anchorage, Alaska
- Two additional undelivered packages intercepted by postal inspectors
Bombs mailed from Georgia prison
FBI and Postal Inspectors investigate
80-year sentence imposed
Motivation: Bizarre Demands, Not Ideology
According to federal prosecutors, Summerlin described the bombs as “gifts” and attempted to negotiate prison accommodations in exchange for information about the plot. Demands included:
- Being housed with a romantic partner
- Access to specific commissary food items
- Special privileges within the prison system
“These devices were not only a threat to the recipients, but to every individual that unknowingly transported and delivered them.”
— Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina
Sentencing Breakdown
| Charge | Sentence |
|---|---|
| Mailing explosive devices | 20 years × 4 counts = 80 years |
| Concurrent or consecutive? | Consecutive to existing life sentence |
| Location of incarceration | Federal Bureau of Prisons (post-state transfer) |
Broader Implications for Prison Security
The case has raised urgent questions about how an inmate in a maximum-security state prison could access materials to build bombs and exploit the postal system. Experts say it highlights systemic gaps in prison mail screening and inter-agency coordination.
For more on domestic threats originating from correctional facilities, see our investigation at [INTERNAL_LINK:prison-based-domestic-terrorism].
