A man has been charged with allegedly sending letters containing a white granular substance, which was later identified as salt, to four members of Congress. The criminal complaint was unsealed on Monday in federal court in Springfield, Illinois.
According to the Justice Department, Matthew Unglesbee is accused of mailing the letters to lawmakers in the Northern District of Illinois, including the office of one U.S. senator. In one instance, a letter received by a House member's office contained a white granular substance and a note reading "HA HA." In the letter addressed to the U.S. senator, the note allegedly read "HA HA HA enjoy your gift."
An investigation revealed that Unglesbee's address was listed as the return address on the envelopes. When interviewed by authorities at his home, Unglesbee allegedly stated he was aware of other reports of suspicious substance letters being sent to offices around the country. He reportedly told agents he mailed the four letters after hearing about similar incidents in the news.
Unglesbee acknowledged awareness of past instances of white powder being sent in letters, including anthrax, and understood that recipients would take such a mailing seriously due to the potential danger. He allegedly claimed he was joking but recognized that the recipients might perceive the letters as a threat.
During a search of his home, investigators found a fifth envelope addressed to one of the members' Washington, D.C., office. A lawyer for Unglesbee declined to comment when contacted by ABC News.