Oklahoma Man Charged in White Powder Mailings to Officials

Federal authorities have charged an Oklahoma City man with orchestrating a campaign of threatening mailings that targeted public officials, members of Congress, and federal agents. The investigation focused on hundreds of letters containing white powder that caused concern among recipients across the United States.

Robin Martin was arrested on Monday. He was scheduled to appear before a federal court in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Prosecutors accused him of spreading a falsehood and sending threatening communications through the U.S. mail. The campaign reportedly began before the 2024 presidential election and continued into this year.

Court documents released Tuesday detailed the contents of the packages. Investigators found that the white powders were common household substances such as flour or yeast. However, the FBI cautioned that not every letter received a complete chemical analysis. Some envelopes contained a three-page letter declaring war, while others included warnings written in invisible ink that only appeared under ultraviolet light.

One message warned recipients to stay on the right side of history, stating that their lives might depend on it. The sender used a return address for the USTEA, or United States Total Elimination Army, located in Takoma Park, Maryland. A recurring theme in the letters questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election and asserted that Donald Trump had won that race.

FBI Agent David Cole stated in a sworn affidavit that investigators identified more than 700 related mailings sent during the fall of this year. These packages used a different return address than the initial ones. The letters targeted a wide range of individuals, including pollsters, journalists, and federal law enforcement agents. The author expressed fear that the issues he identified would repeat in the November 2024 election.

Investigators traced the mailings to Martin through video footage showing his vehicle stopping near postal offices in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and San Antonio in October. They also recovered his fingerprints from a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel. The name on the envelope was spelled as Kashyap. Walmart purchase records showed that Martin bought household items like turmeric and vinegar, which agents believe he used to create the invisible ink.

The case involved apparent cooperation from the Democratic Socialists of America. The FBI stated that Martin used the name George Livingston to post a message on the organization's email list in October. In that message, he called members traitors and warned they could be arrested for treason if they voted on November 3. The mailings caused evacuations at election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma, while states from Idaho to Florida reported receiving suspicious letters or having the Post Office intercept them.

This case is separate from another federal investigation involving a 37-year-old man from Illinois. That defendant was charged last month with sending white powder letters to members of Congress. One of his notes read, JA, enjoy the gift.