An Illinois man faced charges on Monday for two felony offenses following allegations that he dispatched mail containing an unidentified white powder to Congressional representatives, as per a criminal complaint.
Matthew G. Unglesbee was prosecuted for providing false information and perpetrating hoaxes, as well as transmitting threatening materials through the mail after four Congressional members received the letters, which bore his return address, the complaint stated.
Illinois man charged over powder letters sent to Congress members
According to the complaint, Unglesbee informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that the substance contained within the letters was salt and that he had dispatched them in jest.
On October 16, the FBI received information from an informant who had learned of Unglesbee’s actions. The informant reported having overheard Unglesbee at a dining establishment discussing how he had transmitted suspicious materials to Congressional members, according to the complaint.
An informant allegedly furnished law enforcement officials with Unglesbee’s complete name, residential address, and date of birth.
Following receipt of the tip and a 911 emergency call originating from one of the congressional offices, agents from the FBI’s Chicago field office proceeded to the offices of three members of Congress representing the northern Illinois region.
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“A staff member at Congressperson A’s office, the first office to receive a letter, noticed that the letter felt like it contained a powder and the staffer could hear something inside the letter,” the complaint said.
An employee contacted emergency services by dialing 911.
The workplace had already implemented heightened security measures after receiving a comparable letter several weeks prior, as per the formal report.
Letters contained ‘ha ha’ message
Each of the three letters included “a white granular substance” along with a handwritten note stating “HA HA,” according to the complaint.
On Friday, the FBI’s Chicago field office investigated an incident at the office of a fourth congressional representative, specifically a senator located in the Northern District of Illinois. The senator had similarly received an envelope containing a white granular substance, accompanied by a handwritten message reading, “HAH enjoy the gift.”
All four letters bore Unglesbee’s name and return address, as stated in the complaint.
FBI Task Force Officer Chris Hobbs, the author of the criminal complaint, described the letters as a typical intimidation strategy. He noted that initial laboratory analysis revealed “no chemical or biological toxins in the white granular substance.”
FBI’s interview with Unglesbee
The FBI conducted an interview with Unglesbee at his residence on Saturday, during which he reportedly admitted to mailing the letters. He explained to investigators that he had overheard a conversation at a restaurant regarding similar letters that had been sent to members of Congress.
During his interview with the FBI, he disclosed that he was aware his powder would likely be interpreted as a potential anthrax threat and expected people to respond in hazmat protective equipment.
He further informed the FBI that the substance was actually salt, stating he deliberately selected salt because of its visual similarity to anthrax.
The FBI conducted a search of Unglesbee’s residence and found a fifth letter bearing the address of one of the congresspeople’s Washington, DC office.
The FBI additionally established that Unglesbee dispatched the letters on October 19.