World · North America · 12 hrs ago
Illinois man charged over powder-filled letters sent to Congress members
Matthew Unglesbee of Quincy, Illinois, was arrested after allegedly mailing four letters with white powder to members of Congress.
Federal charges accuse him of mailing threats and perpetrating a hoax; the recipients were not named.
Unglesbee told investigators the powder was salt and said he sent the letters after hearing about similar mailings in the news.
Preliminary tests found no biological or chemical toxin, and the congressional staff who received the letters did not open them.
The letters prompted FBI and hazardous-materials teams to respond, disrupting offices as authorities checked for danger.
Unglesbee was tentatively scheduled for a detention hearing in federal court in Springfield.
Matthew Unglesbee of Quincy, Illinois, was charged with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax after four letters containing white powder were sent to members of Congress.
The letters included handwritten notes, and the envelopes bore Unglesbee’s name and home address, according to court records.
Unglesbee told investigators the substance was salt and said he was joking, but acknowledged recipients might perceive it as a threat.
Testing found no dangerous substance, and none of the congressional staff members who handled the letters opened them.
The Guardian reported Unglesbee was 36, while AP reported he was 37.
- Who
- Matthew Unglesbee, an Illinois man from Quincy. Reports differ on whether he is 36 or 37.
- What
- He was charged with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax over four letters containing white powder sent to members of Congress.
- When
- The letters were postmarked October 19. The complaint was unsealed on Monday, October 26, 2026.
- Where
- The letters were sent to congressional offices in the Chicago area; the recipients were not identified.
- Why
- Unglesbee said he sent them after hearing about similar mailings and claimed he was joking. He acknowledged recipients might think the powder was anthrax.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
An anonymous tipster reported overhearing Unglesbee talking in a restaurant about mailing a suspicious substance to members of Congress.
The envelopes were postmarked in Springfield, Illinois.
The most recent envelope was received at a US senator’s office, according to AP.
FBI agents interviewed Unglesbee at his home, and he told them he had sent the letters.
The criminal complaint was unsealed and Unglesbee was charged.
- Letters
- At least four envelopes containing a white powdery substance
- Return address
- Unglesbee’s name and Quincy home address
- Charge
- Mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax
- Postmark
- October 19, Springfield, Illinois
- Testing
- No biological or chemical toxin was detected, according to the Guardian
3 sources
What people are saying
Mailing unknown substances to congressional offices creates fear and disrupts the public institutions vital to our democracy.
Unglesbee claimed he was joking but recognized the recipients would not know he was joking and could perceive it as a threat.
kind of looks like