The anthrax scare continues to haut media
and other outlets nationwide. Many of the packages containing a compact disc
that had a packet of sugar labeled “Anthrax Sample” along with an orange
biohazard symbol are still believed to be in the mail, the FBI warned after the
arrest of the main suspect in this case.
The FBI has issued a national alert to its
offices, advising that they may be getting calls from recipients. Recipients of
these mailings are advised to contact their local FBI office so that officers
can collect the packages and send them to the laboratory for processing.
Marc M. Keyser, 66, is believed to have
sent more than 120 envelopes marked “anthrax” to media organizations in
Sacramento and to others in the states of Washington, and North Carolina,
including the Atlantic Monthly office in Washington, D.C.; the Charlotte
Observer; and KCRA-TV in Sacramento. At least some of the envelopes had Keyser’s
return address on them.
So far, field tests determined the contents
of the envelopes were not anthrax.
Two packages were delivered to the Boston Herald
and The Christian Science Monitor, respectively. The newspapers received the
envelopes yesterday and the Herald’s building on Harrison Avenue was evacuated for less
than an hour. Members of a hazardous material team went into the building and tested
the mailings received by the newspapers. Tests revealed the content of the
packages was harmless. The envelope sent to the Boston Herald had Keyser’s name
and return address on it, according to the police.
The FBI agents said Keyser was cooperative;
he was arrested on Wednesday without incident. According to the FBI, the man sent
more than 120 hoax anthrax envelopes to media organizations, a congressional
office and at least two restaurants. Keyser, who is charged with three counts
of mailing the hoax packages, had an initial appearance yesterday in federal
court in California
and was scheduled to appear again today for a detention hearing, FBI agent
Steve Dupre said.
According to court documents, when FBI
agents arrived at his home, Keyser admitted he had sent the envelopes and he
led them to some similar packages in his car.
The FBI said the arrest is not connected to
another series of bogus mailings, in which a number of financial institutions
received powder-hoax mailings.
Previous reports have revealed that Keyser was
interviewed previously by the FBI for an anthrax hoax mailing in 2006. The
Sacramento News & Review received a CD copy of his novel and a cylinder
marked “anthrax,” according to reports. The man was not charged. He was warned
that any other occurrences would likely result in his prosecution because such
actions were “in violation of federal law.” According to the Bee and other
newspapers nationwide, the mailings may be an apparent attempt to draw
attention to the subject of a novel he wrote about a fictional anthrax attack.
The Atlantic magazine was the first to
receive a package yesterday, which prompted the reaction of local investigators
and the FBI. Keyser was arrested after new packages began appearing at other
newspapers, media organizations and other outlets nationwide.
