Federal authorities have charged an Oklahoma man accused of mailing hundreds of letters containing nonhazardous white powder to public officials.
WASHINGTON — An Oklahoma man faces federal charges after allegedly sending hundreds of letters containing white powder to public officials ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections.
The substances tested so far were identified as yeast or flour, although the FBI said in a court filing made public Tuesday that testing was not complete on every letter.
Robin Martin has been charged with conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications. He was arrested Monday and was expected to appear Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City. Online court records did not show an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Federal authorities said last month that they were investigating letters containing “suspicious substances” sent to congressional and election offices across the country. Recipients were urged to handle the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”
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The mailings prompted evacuations at election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma in October. Election offices in numerous states, including Idaho and Florida, reported receiving similar letters or having them intercepted by the Postal Service.
Investigators believe more than 700 mailings may be linked to a single sender, FBI agent David Cole said in an affidavit. The letters were sent to election officials, members of Congress, pollsters, news organizations and federal law enforcement agencies.
The investigation dates to 2024, when election officials in every state reported receiving mail containing a white substance and a three-page letter declaring war, according to the FBI.
The return address listed on the letters was “U.S.T.E.A., United States Traitor Elimination Army, Takoma Park, MD.”
A recurring message in the 2024 and 2026 mailings warned recipients that arrests for treason “or worse!!” were coming.