Federal prosecutors charged an Oklahoma man on Tuesday with sending more than 700 letters containing white powder to election officials, members of Congress and news outlets ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections, the Justice Department said.
Robin Patrick Martin, 43, faces one count of conveying a hoax and one count of mailing threatening communications, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City. He was arrested Monday and made an initial appearance Tuesday afternoon.
The powder in the envelopes tested as nonhazardous yeast or flour, the FBI said in an affidavit, though not every letter has been fully analyzed. Many of the mailings carried messages written in UV-reactive ink that is invisible to the naked eye, the affidavit said.
Investigators linked the 2026 batch to a similar wave in 2024 through handwriting analysis. In one 2024 letter to the Oklahoma State Election Board, the writer warned recipients to stay on the right side of history. The message added that their lives might depend on it. The 2026 letters referenced a group called the United States Traitor Elimination Army and threatened recipients with arrest for treason "OR WORSE!!"
Martin described perceived problems with the 2020 election and claimed Donald Trump won that race, the affidavit said. Surveillance footage showed him dropping off envelopes at a U.S. Postal Service facility in both years. Records show he purchased mailing supplies and ink ingredients in August 2026.
The FBI and the Postal Inspection Service announced the investigation last month after election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma were evacuated and dozens of congressional offices reported suspicious mail, CBS News and The Guardian reported. The Senate sergeant at arms warned staff that additional letters might still arrive, The Independent said.
Online court records do not list an attorney for Martin. A detention hearing is scheduled for later this week.