USPSNEWSLINK EXTRA

Wednesday | April 25, 2007

PIPE BOMB MAILINGS SUSPECT ARRESTED

Postal Inspectors arrest man believed to be “The Bishop”

The Department of Justice said today that Postal Inspectors arrested John Tomkins of Dubuque, IA, for allegedly mailing two partially disconnected pipe bombs from a Chicago suburb to investment firms in Denver and Kansas City in January. Criminal charges link Tomkins to more than a dozen threatening letters, some of them signed “The Bishop.”

Federal agents, led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), arrested Tomkins without incident this morning in Dubuque. Tomkins was charged with one count of mailing a threatening communication with intent to extort money and one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. He is expected to appear in U.S. District court in Chicago this afternoon.

The arrest followed an intensive investigation by more than 100 Postal Inspectors, agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, as well as local law enforcement officials. Investigators also received assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Our team has worked around the clock,” said USPIS Chicago Division Inspector-in-Charge Kenneth Laag. “We analyzed complex financial records and utilized bomb experts and forensic scientists. Most importantly, we used good old-fashioned police work. The men and women who worked on this investigation are to be commended for bringing this case to a swift conclusion before anyone was harmed. The swift closure of this case should reassure the public that they can continue to have confidence in the mail.”

If convicted, Tomkins faces maximum sentences of 20 years and 10 years in prison for the two charges. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000.