Threatening Letters Containing White Powder Sent To Manhattan Banks
Updated at 12:26 a.m., May 1, 2012
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Envelopes containing white powder turned up at multiple banks in Manhattan on Monday, police told 1010 WINS.
Five of the envelopes were sent to Wells Fargo banks, one was sent to JP Morgan Chase headquarters and another was sent to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Office and ended up in a mailroom on Gold Street.
The powder was determined to be cornstarch, police said.
1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon Hears From Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne
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Hazmat teams and detectives were dispatched to banks all afternoon checking for possible threats, 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon reported.
The envelopes also contained notes that were nearly identical, containing references to "May Day," which falls on May 1 and is a traditional rally day for labor movements.
The notes also included statements such as "You have 10 seconds to stop working," "You are not in control" and "[Expletive] the banks."
Occupy Wall Street is planning a big demonstration Tuesday in New York City, urging followers to block traffic at bridges and tunnels to make it hard for people to get to work.
That has the NYPD suspecting that there may be an Occupy Wall Street connection to the letters.
"I'm not aware of any unions who are actually striking, but the message seems to be connected to that, saying 'Stop work, you have 10 seconds to do it,'" Browne told 1010 WINS' Rincon.
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