A U.S. postal worker in Virginia was arrested last week and charged with sending an anthrax hoax letter and tampering with U.S. mail.
The employee Sharon Watson, allegedly sprinkled baby powder on open mail in protest against the postal service for not taking action there to conduct testing for anthrax, according to news reports.
Watson, an employee at the Falmouth Post Office in Virginia, was charged in a criminal complaint with knowingly mailing threatening communications and with unlawful delay or destruction of mail, according to news reports. The violations can carry penalties of a maximum of 20 years in prison.
On Oct. 25 a postal employee at the Falmouth facility discovered a piece of bulk mail leaking a suspicious white powder. As a precaution the U.S. Postal Inspection Service closed the branch down, causing a “significant delay” in mail delivery, the report said.
Authorities investigated and determined the letter had been tampered with at the post office and a white powder — tested and found to be baby powder — had been put into the envelope.
According to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent, three separate post office employees told authorities Watson was responsible, the report said.
Network
