SUSPICIOUS LETTER MAILED TO STATE OFFICE FACILITY

(Annapolis, MD) - Maryland State Police investigators are continuing their investigation into a suspicious letter mailed to a Maryland State office facility in Annapolis and opened by an unsuspecting employee this morning.

Shortly before 9:00 a.m. this morning, Anne Arundel County Police responded to a 911 call received from the Maryland District Court Administration building located in the 900 block of Commerce Road in Annapolis, Maryland, after an employee opened a letter laced with a white powdered substance. The responding officer quickly evacuated and secured the office, as well as adjoining offices until troopers and emergency personnel arrived.

Due to the unknown nature of the powder, all precautions were taken and a hazardous materials team from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, along with members from the Annapolis City Fire Department, Anne Arundel County Fire Marshals Office and the Maryland Department of the Environment responded to the scene. The nearby Anne Arundel County Medical Center was also notified of the incident, as exposed employees may require medical treatment. Fire department officials determined that four of the ten employees assigned to the office may have been exposed to the powder. Those employees were treated and decontaminated at the scene for precautionary measures.

State Police criminal investigators have determined that the letter was mailed from an address in the Richmond, Virginia area and are working with Virginia police as part of the investigation. Fire department officials took several samples of the powder before the office was cleaned and sanitized. It was later determined that the powder in the letter was baking powder. The office, utilized for receiving mail and packages for the Maryland District Court, was thoroughly searched by troopers before employees were allowed back in the building shortly after 12:00 p.m. today.

Maryland State Police continue to remind everyone that incidents like this will be taken very seriously and will be investigated fully. Persons found responsible will be arrested and face significant criminal charges. Incidents like this create significant hardship for the victims and involve a large amount of police and fire department resources.