Blanning had a federal tax lien of just over $60,000 pending against him. I wonder if that's why he picked that number. But he planned on delivering the letters to four banks, for a total of $240,000. He abandoned the plan after delivering two.

The Rocky Mountain News today mentions he had been in prison for racketeering. I found from public records last night, but didn't want to prejudice him by writing about it that in the 90's, James Chester Blanning, Jr. was involved in buying and selling mining claims. He had a company, Aspen-Western Mining, Ltd. that dissolved in 2003. He also has some tax federal tax liens, the most recent for $60+k. An older one is from 1998 and lists his address as "Box 999, Canon City" which happens to be a state prison.

He was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief in Aspen in 1994. A week later, he was charged with misdemeanor third degree assault in neighboring Garfield County. In 1995 and 1996, he was charged with racketeering in Aspen and in Rio Blanco County (Apparently, this is why he was in prison in 1998.)

There were 7 civil suits filed against him in the 90's, including one by a man to whom he sold some mining claims.

Back to the present: His notes are interesting in that while castigating Bush, Rove and Cheney for the Iraq War, his reference to "towel heads" shows he's clearly prejudiced against Iraqis and middle easterners. And on a local note, he has a lot of hatred for Mick Ireland, now Aspen's mayor, who in the past was a city councilman and before that a reporter for an Aspen paper. But he seems okay with Sheriff Bob Braudis (who happens to be my favorite law enforcement officer as I've written many times.)

The Aspen Times has more on Blanning's prior history and antics .

The Aspen Daily News has more on the surreal evacuation of the town. In all, 190 members of various agencies responded to the threats.

The bombs were real:

[Aspen police chief Bill] Linn said that police bomb squads detonated the bombs once the area was cleared, and that one of the packages created a fireball outside a Wells Fargo bank when police detonated it. No one was injured.

Linn said the bombs were dangerous, containing plastic bladders of gasoline, but Linn did not describe exactly how sophisticated they were.

The town evacuation was lifted around 5:00 a.m. It's believed Blanning was acting alone.

Update: From today's news conference: The cost of law enforcment addressing the threat: $150 - 250,000. It was Sheriff Braudis who was able to identify Blanning from the bank security camera photo. Losses to area businesses will be in the millions.