# Illinois Man Charged With Mailing White Powder to Four Members of Congress, Says It Was Salt and a Joke

Matthew G. Unglesbee faces two felony counts. A restaurant tip led the FBI to him, and each letter carried his name and return address. Early lab tests found no chemical or biological toxins.

- Section: [Border & Security](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/border-security/)
- Published: 2026-10-27
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/illinois-man-unglesbee-charged-white-powder-letters-members-of-congress-fox-news/

An Illinois man has been charged over letters containing a white powder that were sent to members of Congress, according to a criminal complaint cited by Fox News.

The charges. Matthew G. Unglesbee was charged Monday with two felonies: false information and hoaxes, and mailing threatening communications. Four members of Congress, one of them a senator in northern Illinois, received the letters.

How it unfolded. The complaint says the FBI got a tip from someone who overheard Unglesbee at a restaurant saying he had mailed suspicious substances to members of Congress. The tipster gave his name, address and date of birth. FBI Chicago went to the offices of three House members in northern Illinois after the tip and a 911 call from one office. A staffer there had felt powder in the envelope and heard something inside. That office had already received a similar letter in recent weeks. On Friday, agents also went to the senator's office.

The letters. Each held a white granular substance and a handwritten note, one reading "HA HA" and the senator's reading "HAH enjoy the gift." All four were marked with his name and return address. Searching his home, agents found a fifth letter addressed to a member's Washington, D.C., office. The FBI determined he mailed them on Oct. 19.

What he told agents. The complaint says he confessed at an interview Saturday. He said the powder was salt, picked because it looked like anthrax, and that he meant it as a joke. He said he knew recipients would see it as possible anthrax and expected hazmat suits. He also acknowledged they would not know it was a joke. FBI Task Force Officer Chris Hobbs wrote that preliminary lab tests found no chemical or biological toxins.

Note for readers: these are allegations in a complaint, and Unglesbee has not been convicted. Fox says it contacted the FBI for more information; the report does not include a response.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illinois-man-accused-threatening-congress-white-substances-letters-marked-return-address)