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"I know your (sic) in," reads what seems to be a poem written to the owners of Rickety Ranch in Hollis, New Hampshire.
According to the FBI, over the last two years, the owners of the farm have treated letters such as the one that was taken to extort about $ 250,000. At the same time, the farm faced threats, destruction of property and cruelty to animals.
"Just pay me and you will win," says the letter. "It will be quick and easy, I left the instructions under glass, on your lawn."
At present, the FBI has announced that it would allocate up to $ 10,000 to anyone who would provide information about those responsible.
"We've been investigating this case for about a year and a half," said Brian O'Hara, special agent for the FBI's Boston division. "During that time, so much has happened."
The owners have been receiving the letters since 2017. In return, the author of the letter stated that they would "spare the family" and help them deal with ongoing issues with the Hollis City Government, a announced the FBI.
The owners also treated their barn's fire in January 2018 – the FBI still investigating whether this is related to letters, according to O'Hara – as well as damage to their animals.
"There were many, many acts," said O'Hara about animal cruelty. "Some have hurt the animals, and some have actually killed them."
Now homeowners live in fear, including if anything could happen to one of the kids or young people working on the farm, O'Hara said.
Rickety Ranch is an educational opportunity to engage children and teens in agriculture and to interest them in agriculture, according to the farm's website. Many young people have difficult personal lives or disabilities; animals are rescues.
"It's actually a charity," O'Hara said. "Now they also worry that someone they hire is hurt."
Displaying one of the extortion letters was essential, according to O'Hara. The FBI hopes that the other will recognize writing – it's an enigma or a rhyme.
"The vicious shakedown of this family and the use of violence to intimidate them will not be tolerated," said Harold H. Shaw, special agent for the FBI's Boston division. "We ask anyone with information about those who terrorize them to come forward and share this information with us so that we can stop it and bring the perpetrators to justice."
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