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Politics · October 26, 2026

Man charged with mailing threatening letters with white substance to members of Congress

7 sources →

Matthew Unglesbee, a 36- or 37-year-old resident of Quincy, Illinois, has been charged with mailing threatening communications and hoaxes after allegedly sending four letters containing a white substance to members of Congress. Federal authorities report that Unglesbee included his own name and return address on the envelopes, which were postmarked October 19 in Springfield. The FBI initiated an investigation following an anonymous tip about the suspect's comments in a restaurant. During an interview with agents on October 25, Unglesbee reportedly admitted to using salt in the letters to mimic anthrax after hearing about similar mailings in the news. Initial testing confirmed the substance was not dangerous, and Unglesbee made his first court appearance on October 26.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • Matthew Unglesbee is an Illinois man charged with mailing letters containing a white substance to members of Congress.
  • The suspect faces charges of false information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications.
  • The letters were sent to four members of Congress.
  • The envelopes contained the suspect's name and home address.
  • The suspect told investigators he used salt as a joke after hearing about other suspicious mailings in the news.
  • Preliminary testing showed the substance was not dangerous.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Some sources report the suspect's age as 37, while one reports it as 36.
  • The letters contained handwritten notes such as 'HA HA' and 'HAH enjoy the gift.'
  • The FBI received a tip from an anonymous person who overheard the suspect talking about the letters.
  • The letters were postmarked in Springfield on October 19 and arrived at offices between October 21 and October 23.
  • The charges carry maximum prison terms of five and ten years.
  • The letters were sent to offices in Chicago.

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