Texas Woman Charged With Mailing Explosives To State's Governor And Obama 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski /AFP/Getty Images Brendan Smialowski /AFP/Getty Images 
 
 Julia Poff, a 46-year-old woman in Sealy, Texas, has been accused of mailing homemade explosives to then-President Obama and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in October 2016. A third package went to the Social Security Administration. 
 
 Only Abbott opened the package, but according to documents filed in court in Texas this week, "it failed to explode because he did not open it as designed." Had the device exploded, the documents state that it could have caused "severe burns and death" to the state's Republican governor. 
 
 The federal agent assigned to the case testified that the package had an "obliterated shipping label" for an EBay order that was sent to Julia Poff, which led authorities to her address. They found a garage full of fireworks, and a number of pieces of evidence, including a salad dressing bottle cap in the explosive device that matched salad dressing witnesses say Poff had used for her anniversary dinner, and packaging for Pall Mall red cigarettes containing pyrotechnic powder, later found at her home. 
 
 The package sent to Obama also included a cat hair "microscopically consistent" with the hair of one of Poff's cats. 
 
 Court documents say that Poff was known to be critical of both Obama and Abbott. She had also applied for Social Security benefits and been denied. 
 
 Throughout the investigation and grand jury hearing, Poff tried to learn the identity of witnesses talking to the FBI, and told her friends not to talk to investigators. 
 
 Because of those efforts, and because she was deemed a flight risk, Poff was not released on bail. She faces a total of six federal charges, including false declaration of bankruptcy and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud. 
 
 Poff has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to a report from a Houston television station. Her attorney declined to comment, according to the same local media report. 

 HOUSTON - A Houston-area woman has been indicted on federal charges of mailing explosive devices to Gov. Greg Abbott, former President Barack Obama and former Social Security Administration Commissioner Carolyn Colvin. 
 
 Court documents read the devices were mailed in October 2016, but the indictment was not returned until November of this year. 
 
 Julia Poff, 46, is named in a six-count indictment accusing her of mailing "injurious articles," "transportation of explosives with intent to kill and injure," "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud" and "false declaration in bankruptcy." 
 
 Julia Poff court documents 
 
 VIEW: Julia Poff court documents 
 
 During a Nov. 16 detention hearing, Poff pleaded not guilty to the charges. Through a public records request, Channel 2 Investigates obtained a copy of an audio recording of that hearing. 
 
 During the hearing, a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force based out of Bryan, Texas, testified to many of the circumstances regarding the yearlong investigation. 
 
 The investigator described an 8x7x2-inch package was mailed to the governor's mansion. The investigator testified there was a smaller box inside the larger box containing smokeless powder typically used for the reloading of ammunition, pyrotechnic powder used in fireworks and a hobby fuse. The investigator also testified there was a small plastic cap filled with a type of "lead shot" found in shotgun shells used for hunting. 
 
 LISTEN: Description of device Julia Poff sent to Gov. Greg Abbott 
 
 The investigator testified the device sent to Abbott is called a victim actuated improvised explosive device. 
 
 "It means it's booby-trapped. It means that the victim that opens the package has to take certain action for it to detonate," he said during questioning by a federal prosecutor. 
 
 "Who was it addressed to?" a prosecutor asked. 
 
 "It was addressed to Governor Abbott," the investigator answered. 
 
 "And tell the court who opened the package," the prosecutor said. 
 
 "Governor Abbott opened the package," the investigator said. 
 
 The investigator testified the device did not detonate and then explained what could happen when one of these devices is detonated. 
 
 "A very large flash that could induce severe burns and lots of severe injury and possibly death," he said. 
 
 The investigator testified the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives examined the materials and U.S. Postal Service inspectors examined an obliterated shipping label found on the smaller box. 
 
 The investigator said postal inspectors were able to determine the label bared Poff's name the address of a P.O. box owned by Poff. 
 
 More testimony was given as to a possible motive for sending the device to Abbott. The investigator testified Poff seemed upset with the way the state's child support division handled her case dating back to the time Abbott was Texas attorney general. 
 
 "She was upset that child support and/or the arrest of her ex-husband wasn't being conducted the way she thought it should be," he said. 
 
 LISTEN: Why Julia Poff decided to send packages to her targets 
 
 The investigator testified the Social Security Administration received a package after Poff was denied a third time for benefits. He also stated what he believed was the reason another package was mailed to Obama. 
 
 "Through interviews with other witnesses, she did not like him," he said. 
 
 The packages sent to SSA and Obama were both caught by security screeners. He testified none of the three packages detonated. 
 
 The investigator then explained how a particular brand of cigarettes, a USB cable box, debit card purchases and even cat hair helped lead them to Poff. 
 
 LISTEN: How a cat hair helped catch Julia Poff 
 
 More testimony from the investigator revealed the packages were sent from a mail drop box in Brookshire, just outside of Houston. He testified Poff was living in the small town at the time the packages were mailed. The investigator also said searches of Poff's home lead to the discovery of latex gloves, fireworks and reloading equipment. The investigator said Poff worked at a fireworks stand for several years, among other jobs. 
 
 The investigator also testified Poff was trying to learn the identity of witnesses called to the grand jury. 
 
 "We learned that afterward she was trying to identify witnesses in the grand jury and determine what questions had been asked," he said. 
 
 On a Facebook page believed to belong to Poff, there are at least two postings related to the investigation. One post asked for support as her hearing date neared. Another post titled, "My Story," reads that she believes she is being framed. 
 
 The investigator testified Poff posted another message to a Facebook group. 
 
 "Julia posted on the group, 'If the FBI tries to contact anyone, don't talk to them and let me know you've been contacted," he said. 
 
 A judge ordered Poff to remain in custody until her trial, which is scheduled for January. 
 
 Officials with the governor's office declined to comment, citing the ongoing case. An official with the Texas Department of Public Safety responded via email to KPRC's questions about protocols for the handling of packages sent to the governor's mansion. 
 
 "We don't discuss security protocols," DPS press secretary Tom Vinger wrote. 
 
 Poff's attorney declined to comment, as did a member of her family when contacted by KPRC. 
 
 Copyright 2017 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved. 

 Cat hair helps catch area woman accused of mailing bomb to Gov. Greg Abbott Julia Poff previously told Chronicle she was being set up 
 
 A Houston-area woman accused of mailing bombs to Gov. Greg Abbott and former President Barack Obama previously told the Chronicle she was being set up. 
 
 Julia Poff was indicted in federal court this month for a trio of 2016 mail bombs, including a botched explosive stuffed in a cigarette pack that failed to detonate when the governor opened it. 
 
 The 46-year-old was "upset with Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General, because she had not received support from her ex-husband," according to federal court documents. 
 
 Using a salad dressing cap from a bottle purchased for an anniversary dinner, Poff allegedly cobbled together an explosive with black powder and pyrotechnic powder, then slipped it in the mail to governor. 
 
 PREVIOUS LAWSUIT: Waller County woman sues man accused of calling her 'purple Martian from hell' 
 
 When Abbott opened the package in early October 2016, it didn't blow up because he didn't open it as designed. 
 
 "Had the device exploded, it could have caused severe burns and death," according to court documents. 
 
 Agents working the case later found an damaged shipping label addressed to the mail bombing suspect, from when she originally had received the packaging through EBay. 
 
 A similar package sent to Obama was detected in screening and never made it to the intended target. 
 
 "Poff had stated she did not like the President," according to court documents. 
 
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 A sloppy packaging job on the D.C.-bound explosive helped build the case against the accused bomber. After diverting the package, agents discovered that cat hair caught in the shipping label was "microscopically consistent" with the hair of one of Poff's pets, according to court records. 
 
 A third package was sent to the Social Security Administration in Maryland, where Poff had been denied benefits. 
 
 A search of Poff's home turned up a trove of fireworks in the garage, according to court records. 
 
 In an unsolicited Facebook message asking for prayers and PayPal donations to cover legal fees, Poff told a Chronicle reporter that trash had been taken from her family's home that "had our fingerprints on it" and was "used in some serious crimes that we did not commit and know nothing about." 
 
 She also was charged with more than $5,000 of food stamp fraud and false bankruptcy declaration. A federal public defender on Thursday declined to comment. 
 
 Court records note that Poff has been evicted repeatedly, in one case allegedly leaving a rented home with potatoes stuffed down the toilets and cement poured in the drains. 
 
 Her criminal history includes a misdemeanor theft conviction, which netted deferred adjudication and probation that later was revoked, according to court records. She also was convicted of felony fraud. 
 
 Last year, using a Sealy mailing address but describing herself as a Waller County resident, Poff sued her leasing company's manager for allegedly calling her a "purple Martian from hell," according to paperwork filed in Harris County court. 
 
 The suit also claimed that the Cypress Four Property Ventures manager "verbally attacked" Poff on the phone and described her as a "professional squatter." A judge ultimately tossed the case. 
 
 Poff later said the Chronicle's December 2016 coverage of her civil case was "sooo incomplete!!!" and went on to accuse the judge of corruption. 
 
 On Friday, a federal judge ruled against releasing Poff, citing a "serious risk that the defendant will flee." 
 
 The case is due for a pretrial conference early next year. 

 Story highlights Julia Poff faces charges of mailing explosives to the White House, Texas governor's office 
 
 Her public defender could not be reached for comment 
 
 (CNN) The evidence against a Texas woman accused of sending homemade bombs to President Obama and the governor of Texas includes a cell phone, a cigarette package, a salad dressing cap and, authorities say, some very distinctive cat hair. 
 
 Julia Poff faces six charges after she was indicted earlier this month. Federal authorities said in court filings that she sent very dangerous explosive devices to President Obama, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and the Social Security Administration in October 2016. 
 
 Abbott opened his package, but the device didn't explode because "he did not open it as designed," a court filing from her detention hearing says. The bomb could have caused severe burns or death, the court document says. 
 
 Poff entered a plea of not guilty at the detention hearing. She was arraigned in the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday. 
 
 CNN called the public defender representing Poff on Thursday but didn't get an immediate response. 
 
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– A 46-year-old Texas woman faces a host of charges after she allegedly mailed explosives to then-President Barack Obama, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and former Social Security Administration Commissioner Carolyn Colvin. Julia Poff of Sealy had been repeatedly denied Social Security benefits and was also upset with the handling of a child support case dating back to when Abbott was Texas attorney general, an investigator testified at a Nov. 16 detention hearing, per KPRC. The packages mailed in October 2016 to Obama and Colvin were flagged by screening systems, but Abbott opened his. It contained black powder and pyrotechnic powder inside a cigarette pack, but "failed to explode because he did not open it as designed," court documents read, per NPR and the Houston Chronicle. The documents note an explosion could’ve caused "severe burns and death." Among the evidence against Poff: cat hair. Authorities say hair beneath a label on the package sent to Obama was "microscopically consistent" with hair from Poff's cat, report NPR and CNN. But it was an "obliterated" shipping label from an eBay order sent to Poff, found on Abbott's package, that led authorities to Poff's home, where they say they found latex gloves and fireworks among other evidence. The investigator testified that Poff worked at a fireworks stand for years. Another alleged clue: Abbott's package contained a salad dressing bottle cap, and witnesses told authorities Poff bought that brand of dressing for her anniversary dinner. Poff is charged with mailing injurious articles, transportation of explosives with intent to kill, and more, and has been denied bail. A trial is set for January.