An Illinois man was charged with two felonies on Monday after allegedly sending letters that contained a white powdery substance to several members of Congress, as outlined in a criminal complaint.
Matthew G. Unglesbee faces charges of providing false information and hoaxes, as well as mailing threatening communications, after four congressional members received the letters that bore his return address.
According to the complaint, Unglesbee informed the FBI that the substance was salt and claimed he mailed the letters as a joke.
The FBI received a tip on October 16, indicating that Unglesbee had sent the letters. The informant reportedly heard him discussing at a restaurant about sending suspicious substances to Congress members.
The informant provided authorities with Unglesbee’s full name, address, and date of birth.
Following the tip, agents from the FBI’s Chicago office promptly visited the offices of three Congress members from northern Illinois after receiving both the tip and a 911 call from one of the offices.
One staff member at Congressperson A’s office, the first to receive a letter, noted that the letter felt unusual, and there seemed to be something inside it, prompting the 911 call.
It turns out the office had already been on alert due to receiving a similar letter in the prior weeks.
All three letters contained “a white granular substance” along with a handwritten note that said “HA HA,” as mentioned in the complaint.
On a recent Friday, the FBI responded to a fourth congressional office, that of a senator from the Northern District of Illinois, which also received an envelope with a white granular substance and a note stating, “HAH enjoy the gift.”
All four letters had Unglesbee’s name and return address on them.
FBI Task Force Officer Chris Hobbs, who authored the complaint, indicated that these letters were typical intimidation tactics, noting that preliminary lab tests did not reveal any toxic substances in the powder.
During an interview at his home, Unglesbee reportedly admitted to sending the letters and mentioned that he had overheard discussions in a restaurant regarding similar letters sent to Congress members.
He acknowledged to the FBI he understood that the powder could be seen as potentially resembling anthrax and expected a considerable response, including hazmat suits.
He even stated he chose salt specifically because it looked like anthrax. According to the complaint, “Unglesbee claimed he was joking but recognized that the recipients would not know he was joking and could perceive it as a threat.”
Authorities also searched Unglesbee’s home and found a fifth letter addressed to one of the congressional offices in Washington, DC.
Furthermore, the FBI determined that the letters had been sent on October 19.
Further information was requested from the FBI by Fox News Digital.
