An Illinois man is facing federal charges for allegedly sending threatening letters containing a white substance to four members of Congress.
An affidavit filed in Illinois’ Central District Court on Monday alleges Matthew G. Unglesbee sent the letters on Oct. 16 or 17. He is charged with sending false information and mailing threatening communications.
The letters contained what the affidavit describes as a “granular white substance” that resembled chemical or biological toxins, although preliminary lab testing did not find such material.
Each handwritten letter said “HA HA” and included Unglesbee’s return address.
On Oct. 16, before the letters arrived at the Illinois offices, the FBI received an online tip from someone who said they overheard Unglesbee say at a restaurant that he had sent “suspicious substances” to members of Congress, the affidavit says.
FBI personnel said they interviewed Unglesbee at his home Sunday and he admitted to mailing the letters. The affidavit says Unglesbee told officers he sent the letters after learning that similar suspicious mail was sent to public officials earlier this month.
He told agents the substance was salt and claimed he was joking, the affidavit said. Unglesbee could not be reached for comment, and it was unclear whether he had retained a lawyer.
Multiple congressional offices and state election administration offices have received suspicious mail this month.
Federal law enforcement officials told lawmakers Oct. 15 that mail containing “suspicious substances” was sent to the Capitol Hill offices of multiple members of Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Alex Padilla (D-California). More than a dozen election offices in multiple states have reported being the target of suspicious mail.
The post Illinois man allegedly sent threatening letters containing a white substance to Congress members appeared first on Washington Post.
