Man charged with mailing hundreds of letters containing powder to officials in Del., other states ahead of the election

Federal authorities charged an Oklahoma City man with sending hundreds of letters containing white powder and ominous warnings about treason to public officials ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections.

The powders turned out to be nonhazardous — yeast or flour — though not all letters have been fully tested, the FBI said in a court filing made public Tuesday.

Robin Martin, 67, is charged with conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications. He was arrested Monday and appeared Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City before being returned to jail to await a detention hearing next week.

The Federal Public Defender office, which represents Martin, said it would not comment on the allegations. A daughter, Ava Martin, declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press.

Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg called it a “calculated attempt to terrorize public servants” who didn’t know if the powder could sicken them.

The investigation stretched back to 2024 when election officials in multiple states reported mail with a white substance and a three-page letter declaring war, the FBI said. Some bore warnings that could only be read under ultraviolet light, such as, “Stay on the right side of history! Your life may depend on it!!”

The sender wrote a return address as “U.S.T.E.A., United States Traitor Elimination Army, Takoma Park, MD.”

Investigators believe more than 700 mailings this fall appeared to be associated with the same sender but with a different return address. They were addressed to election officials, members of Congress, pollsters, news media and federal law enforcement, FBI agent David Cole said in an affidavit.