Substance found in Perrysburg office not anthrax, test shows

10/11/2001

A white powdery substance discovered yesterday in an envelope at an American Express office in Perrysburg is not anthrax, authorities said last night.

But they still do not know what it is. Results of additional tests are pending, Perrysburg police said.

Christopher Kec of Whitehouse received the envelope, which contained a stock certificate, at home Tuesday. Mr. Kec took it to his workplace, 1091/2 West Indiana Ave. He disposed of the envelope and later noticed the white substance. He reported it to Whitehouse police, which notified Perrysburg police. They contacted the Toledo fire department's hazardous materials unit. Wearing protective gear, unit personnel removed the envelope from a trash can about 10 a.m. The contents were flown to an Ohio Department of Health laboratory in Columbus for testing. Perrysburg police notified the FBI.

“The mail came from a known source, and it was mail [Mr. Kec] was expecting to receive. The only unusual thing was the powder,” Perrysburg police Lt. Rick Gilts said.

“It was enough to raise suspicion,” Carl Spicocchi, head of the Toledo FBI office, said.