Inspectors offer reward for information on pipe bombs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering up to $100,000 as a reward for information about two explosive devices mailed to companies in Chicago and Kansas City.

"We are just seeking to utilize all the resources we have, including the American public," Rich Sheehan, national spokesman for U.S Postal Inspection Service, said in a phone call Wednesday.

One package arrived Jan. 31 at American Century Investments' midtown Kansas City mail facility. A day later, a similar explosive was found at a business in a 65-story skyscraper in downtown Chicago.

In a news release Tuesday, the Postal Inspection Service said the person suspected of sending the explosive packages has at times identified himself as "The Bishop." The agency said the suspect may be linked to other threatening letters received by various financial institutions over the past 18 months.

"The letters were similar themed, threatening actions against the recipient if he failed to move specific stocks to predetermined price targets," the release said. "The letters also contained references to heaven, hell and the number '666.'"

The description was similar to that offered in a report last week from a corporate counterterrorism expert.

Fred Burton, vice president of counterterrorism for Stratfor, an Austin, Texas-based security and intelligence firm, said the explosive devices, which weren't functional, showed the suspect was "upping the ante."

The packages containing the explosives carried the same return address in Streamwood, Ill., and were postmarked Jan. 26 from Rolling Meadows, Ill., Burton wrote.

Burton wrote the Chicago package initially was sent to the Janus Capital Group in Denver, but was rerouted to a sister company, Perkins, Wolf, McDonnell and Co., apparently because the return address was from the Chicago area.