Postal Service arrests in hoaxes now total 14

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 28, 2001

WASHINGTON -- Postal inspectors have arrested 14 people in anthrax-related hoaxes and say they are actively pursuing other cases.

Inspectors are dealing with "an unbelievable amount of hoaxes and threats and suspicious letters" in the wake of the mailed cases in Florida, New York, Washington and New Jersey.

"The anthrax threats are not really something new for us," Postal Inspector Dan Mihalko said Saturday, citing a rash of 178 cases in 1999 and 2000 targeting abortion clinics.

There had been about 60 cases of anthrax, foot and mouth and similar threats this year before Sept. 11, Mihalko said. In the last two weeks, he said, inspectors have investigated 6,305 incidents.

In many cases inspectors or local police are called because someone is suspicious of a letter, he said. It usually turns out to be nothing, but people are being encouraged to contact authorities if they find something suspicious. Postcards have been sent to every home describing what people should be wary of.

Turning to the hoaxes, Mihalko said there have been 14 arrests so far with prosecution authorized in nine other cases and two more pending.

"The message that we're trying to get out is this: If you're going to screw around with us, particularly at this time, we're going to do everything we can to get you prosecuted," he said.

Mihalko said the arrests have been scattered around the country and involved people in various age groups.

"It's not just juvenile type stuff," he added. "It's run a range of ages and backgrounds. Some people are using this as an opportunity to try to scare somebody or try to resolve past differences."

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