Federal authorities have charged an Oklahoma man with conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications after hundreds of letters containing white powder turned up at the offices of public officials across the country ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections. Robin Martin was expected to make his initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in Oklahoma City, according to officials.
Federal authorities say Martin sent the letters to public officials in the run-up to both election cycles, as reported by WFTV. Online records listed no attorney for Martin who could comment on his behalf, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service did not return an email from the Associated Press seeking comment. The FBI referred questions about the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office on Tuesday.
The substance inside the letters has turned out to be far less dangerous than it looked. The powders turned out to be yeast or flour, though not all letters have been fully tested, the FBI said in a court filing made public Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. Federal authorities had urged recipients earlier in October to treat the mailings as potentially hazardous, even as the investigation unfolded.
A Nationwide Mail Campaign Aimed at Election Offices
The case grew out of a broader federal probe announced in October into suspicious letters mailed to congressional and election offices around the country. The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service were investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including state secretary of state and election offices, according to Votebeat. Three election officials briefed on the investigation told the outlet that more than 100 suspicious letters were sent, though it remained unclear how many went to election officials versus politicians or other recipients.
A Senate sergeant at arms message obtained by the Associated Press said law enforcement officials were working to intercept additional letters, while warning that some might still reach their destinations. The message underscores that the investigation was still active even as charges moved forward against one suspect.
Other States Reported Similar Scares
Votebeat's reporting detailed how the mailings rattled election offices well beyond Oklahoma. Officials in Louisiana and Oklahoma said they received suspicious letters containing a powdery white substance, the outlet reported, part of a pattern that echoed earlier incidents. In 2024, suspicious packages were sent to election officials in at least six states, per the same account.
In Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said a letter containing white powder led to the evacuation of his office as hazmat workers cleared the area, according to Votebeat's reporting. Wisconsin's Elections Commission said a suspicious mail piece containing an unidentified powdery substance was examined and, after a thorough examination, deemed not dangerous.
Charges Reference Hoax and Threat Statutes
The charges against Martin reference two federal statutes. One, 18 U.S.C. § 876, is titled Mailing Threatening Communications, according to the U.S. Code, Office of the Law Revision Counsel. The other, 18 U.S.C. § 1038, is titled False Information and Hoaxes, per the U.S. Government Publishing Office. Neither source lays out how the statutes' elements apply specifically to Martin's case, and the full charging document and the outcome of his expected court appearance were not available.
