FBI, Postal Service seek public's assistance on white powder letters
Published: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Updated: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:10 AM CDT
Updated: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:10 AM CDT
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are asking for help in a case involving threatening letters and an unknown white powder.
More than 50 nearly identical letters were sent to three different financial institutions in at least 11 states. The letters were filled with a powdery substance and were mailed from Texas. The postmarks were from Amarillo, according to an FBI press release issued Thursday.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspectors are working with state and local authorities on the case. Field tests indicate the powder is harmless. Additional tests are being done at regional laboratories.
The press release included a sample message inside one of the letters. The letter is typed in all capital letters and includes a misspelling. What appears to be a name is blacked out in the release.
The message read, “Steal tens of thousands of people’s money and not expect repercussions. It’s payback time. What you just breathed in will kill you within 10 days. Thank (blacked out) and the FDIC for your demise.”
That particular letter was mailed Oct. 18 and went to a bank in Colorado. Similar letters mailed Oct. 17 and 18 also have been found in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. Chase Bank, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision received the letters. FDIC is an independent federal agency and the Office of Thrift Supervision regulates all federal and many state financial institutions.
Investigators are asking that anyone who might have information about the letters call the FBI toll free at 1-800-225-5324; submit a tip anonymously on the FBI Web site < http://www.fbi.gov/ > or call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who prepared and mailed the letters. All calls will be kept confidential.
“People who have mailed these kinds of hoax letters in the past have received some serious jail time,” said Special Agent Richard Kolko, chief of the FBI’s National Press Office in Washington, D.C. “This investigation will continue until those responsible are arrested, and we appreciate the public’s support by providing information.”
More than 50 nearly identical letters were sent to three different financial institutions in at least 11 states. The letters were filled with a powdery substance and were mailed from Texas. The postmarks were from Amarillo, according to an FBI press release issued Thursday.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspectors are working with state and local authorities on the case. Field tests indicate the powder is harmless. Additional tests are being done at regional laboratories.
The press release included a sample message inside one of the letters. The letter is typed in all capital letters and includes a misspelling. What appears to be a name is blacked out in the release.
The message read, “Steal tens of thousands of people’s money and not expect repercussions. It’s payback time. What you just breathed in will kill you within 10 days. Thank (blacked out) and the FDIC for your demise.”
That particular letter was mailed Oct. 18 and went to a bank in Colorado. Similar letters mailed Oct. 17 and 18 also have been found in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. Chase Bank, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision received the letters. FDIC is an independent federal agency and the Office of Thrift Supervision regulates all federal and many state financial institutions.
Investigators are asking that anyone who might have information about the letters call the FBI toll free at 1-800-225-5324; submit a tip anonymously on the FBI Web site < http://www.fbi.gov/ > or call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who prepared and mailed the letters. All calls will be kept confidential.
“People who have mailed these kinds of hoax letters in the past have received some serious jail time,” said Special Agent Richard Kolko, chief of the FBI’s National Press Office in Washington, D.C. “This investigation will continue until those responsible are arrested, and we appreciate the public’s support by providing information.”
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