A 67-year-old Oklahoma man has been charged over hundreds of threatening letters, many containing white powder, that were mailed to election boards, members of Congress and other public officials across the United States.
Robin Patrick Martin faces federal counts of conveying false or misleading information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications. He made an initial appearance before a magistrate judge in Oklahoma City after his arrest.
The complaint links Martin to letters sent before the 2024 and 2026 elections. Investigators say recipients included state election officials, members of Congress, the FBI, polling organisations and news outlets. More than 100 locations were affected, and postal inspectors intercepted many of the mailings before delivery.
Testing determined that the powder was non-hazardous. The charges nonetheless focus on the threatening character of the communications and the fear and public resources caused by substances that recipients could not identify when the envelopes were opened.
The investigation involved the FBI, Postal Inspection Service, US Capitol Police, Oklahoma City Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. The US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma is prosecuting with assistance from the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section.
A criminal complaint is an accusation, not evidence of guilt. Martin is presumed innocent unless the government proves each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Justice Department’s announcement includes a link to the federal complaint and is available here.
