LAFAYETTE, La. – A Fort Polk soldier pleaded guilty Monday to manufacturing and detonating a chemical weapon in the Kisatchie National Forest adjacent to the Fort Polk Army installation.
Ryan Keith Taylor, 24, of New Llano, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to producing, possessing and using a chemical weapon in violation of federal law. According to the guilty plea, Taylor manufactured and detonated a chemical weapon on April 12, 2017 in the Kisatchie National Forest that resulted in the release of highly toxic chlorine gas into the atmosphere.
According to the Associated Press, a ‘court filing says a military police investigator felt his skin burning while collecting samples at the blast site. The filing says the investigator was permanently injured and must be medically discharged from the military.’
Taylor faces up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for September 12, 2018.
