No more tainted letters

Downtown clean after feds search for threatening mail

Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

No new threatening letters turned up at state government agencies on Tuesday following a day that saw evacuations at four state office buildings over fears of biological attacks through the mail.

Federal postal inspectors fanned out over downtown Denver office buildings in the morning to search the mailrooms for other letters matching the four that contained suspicious white powder Monday.

Postal Inspector Andrew Rivas said officials held three pieces of mail during their search because they were suspicious at first. But after investigation, those letters were determined to be normal and were sent on their way.

The effort extended not only to state government buildings but to all major office buildings, private as well as public, with central mailrooms, Rivas said.

The Postal Service's investigative arm is leading the probe.

Each of the letters contained threatening notes and white, powdery substances that turned out to be sugar, a sweetener and one other common household substance that was non-threatening.

It is a federal felony to use the mail to send threats.

The letters were sent to three agencies in downtown buildings and to one in Lakewood.

The letters had various return addresses, which authorities have not verified.

The FBI is working on the case with Denver and Lakewood police. The letters were opened by workers in the offices of the Colorado Geological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Division of Registrations in the Department of Regulatory Agencies and the Economic Development Division.

Authorities haven't disclosed any theories about who the sender might have been.