Texas man arrested for allegedly sending over 500 hoax letters filled with white powder

ROWLETT, Texas, July 29 (UPI) -- A Texas man was arrested Monday, accused sending over 500 fake threat-letters containing white powder to schools, government buildings and other locations over six years.

According to authorities, 66-year-old Hong Minh Truong began sending the threatening and bizarre letters in 2008, with each envelope containing a mysterious white powder that, in every single instance, was found to be non-toxic.

"We believe Hong Minh Truong is responsible for the hundreds of letters sent to locations worldwide, including U.S. government offices, aerospace companies, schools, daycares, and recently, hotels in the vicinity of Super Bowl XLVIII," Dallas FBI special agent Diego Rodriguez wrote in a statement.

In addition to fake white powder, Truong's letters typically contained a nonsensical, ambiguously threatening message. One letter sent to a preschool read:

Al Qaeda back! Special thing for you What the hell where are you, Scooby Doo, Counter Intelligence, CIA, you do not know how to catch the triple dealer spy in your law enforcement. What the hell where are you, Scooby Doo, Internal Affairs, FBI, you don't know how to arrest the bad cop in your law enforcement. You all flaming idiot, ignorant and arrogant, know nothing! How to protect this country! U.S.A We are Al Qaeda, U.B.L FBI, Al Qaeda, SS Nazi FBI, working in your agency. We claim everything.

Despite the lack of actual threat in the powder or Truong's intentions, the potential danger required formal action and repeated presence of hazmat teams, costing state and federal agencies thousands of dollars.

If convicted, Truong faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.