Message to ‘Tax Thieves’ Explodes Near Post Office

An envelope addressed to “tax thieves” exploded outside a suburban post office, injuring a postal worker and shutting the office for several hours before the tax deadline.

The blast occurred at 8:30 p.m. Monday outside the Royal Oak Post Office as workers collected tax returns from filers rushing to meet the midnight deadline.

“From the writing on the envelope, there was an indication it was some kind of tax protest,” Postal Inspector Fred Van de Putte said.

There were no arrests.

The envelope contained a Roman candle and a tea bag, Van de Putte said.

The tea bag apparently referred to the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the tax protest that helped spark the American Revolution. The envelope also contained an unidentified red fluid and a fuse.

Tom Berlucci, 29, a maintenance employee for 10 years, spotted the envelope smoking in a bin of last-minute tax returns. He was trying to toss the parcel into water when it exploded.

Berlucci was treated for burns on his hands and face and released from a hospital.