Illinois Man Charged After Sending White Powder to Congress

An Illinois man has been charged with two felonies after allegedly sending letters containing an unknown white powder substance to members of Congress, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday. Matthew G. Unglesbee faces charges of false information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications.

Unglesbee told the FBI the substance in the letters was salt and that he mailed them as a joke, the complaint stated. The FBI received a tip on Oct. 16 that Unglesbee had sent the letters, with the tipster having overheard him at a restaurant discussing mailing suspicious substances to members of Congress. The tipster provided authorities with Unglesbee's full name, address, and date of birth.

FBI agents responded to the offices of three members of Congress in northern Illinois after receiving the tip and a 911 call from one of the congressional offices. A staff member at one office reported that a letter felt like it contained a powder and that the staffer could hear something inside it. This office had reportedly received a similar letter in the preceding weeks.

All three initial letters contained "a white granular substance" and a handwritten note reading "HA HA." On Friday, the FBI responded to the office of a fourth member of Congress, a senator in Northern Illinois, who had also received an envelope with a white granular substance and a note stating, "HAH enjoy the gift." All four letters were marked with Unglesbee's name and return address.

Preliminary lab testing did not detect the presence of chemical or biological toxins in the white granular substance. FBI Task Force Officer Chris Hobbs, the author of the criminal complaint, characterized the letters as a common intimidation tactic.

During an interview at his home on Saturday, Unglesbee allegedly confessed to sending the letters. He told the FBI that he heard someone in a restaurant talking about similar letters that Congress members had received. He stated that he knew his powder would be perceived as potentially being anthrax and anticipated people responding with hazmat suits, but claimed he was joking and that the powder was salt, used specifically because it looked like anthrax. He acknowledged that recipients would not know he was joking and could perceive the letters as a threat.

The FBI searched Unglesbee's home and found a fifth letter addressed to one of the congresspeople's Washington, D.C., office. The FBI determined that Unglesbee sent the letters on Oct. 19.