West Texas Origin for Nationwide Bank Threat
By: Julie Musgrave
Updated: October 23, 2008
The FBI is in an all out hunt for the person behind a series of threatening letters sent to several financial institutions across the country. Moreover they believe those letters, that contained a suspicious powder, originated right here West Texas.
The FBI released some pictures of the letters sent out today, hoping to get the public's help in identifying the source of the threats. Now -- the powder inside has so far been deemed harmless but FBI officials say the threat is a serious crime nonetheless.
The letters were delivered monday of this week to branches of chase bank, the FDIC, and the US Office of Thrift Supervision.
More than 50 letters have been tracked down, and so far -- field tests show the powder inside is harmless.
Now because the letters are postmarked from West Texas, FBI officials are focusing on Amarillo to find out who who is behind this wide-spread hoax.
Mark White, Investigator, Dallas FBI: "I would hate to speculate right now as to the motive behind this, I think by reading the letter that you can see that there is some resentment towards the banking industry, what is behind that, there could be any number of reasons for that. The office up there is working US Postal Service and local law enforcement in that area, along with other FBI offices, in an effort to determine who's responsible for sending these letters.
If you have any information about the letters, contact Lubbock's FBI office at 765-8571.
Or you can help anonymously on the website...that's FBI.Gov.
