Suspicious Powder Forces State Senator To Evacuate Queens Office

EAST ELMHURST, NY – Suspicious looking powder leaking from a envelope caused an evacuation by police of State Sen. Jose Peralta’s East Elmhurst office on Monday. It didn't reopen until Wednesday, staff said.

The strange greenish gray powder was later found by police to be “completely harmless,” said Chris Sosa, Peralta's communications director.

Sosa noted that when they found the envelope on the chief of staff’s desk, the powder could be seen coming out. It was then placed in a plastic bag and the police were called. The NYPD reported that one female staffer touched the envelope, but declined medical attention.

Sosa said that on Monday the NYPD couldn't determine at the scene whether or not the powder was harmless. The five people in the the office were evacuated and worked from home on Tuesday.

A source close to the incident said that the preliminary investigation has revealed that the powder most likely came from a grease used in a mailing machine that dried and became powder.

Sosa added that, oddly, the envelope was labeled for “Michael Giannaris,” a neighboring state senator, but the address was for Peralta’s district office in Elmhurst.

Caption: State Sen. Jose Peralta's office. Photo courtesy of Google Maps