Man Accused of Sending Threatening White-powder Letters to Lawmakers
WHO:
ABC7 Chicago - The four recipients were U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth; Unglesbee was identified as 37 years old.
NBC News - Matthew Unglesbee was charged in Illinois with sending threatening letters containing a white granular substance to members of Congress.
NBC News - The letters were addressed to four members of Congress; the article says three received letters with a handwritten “HA HA” note, and a fourth received a note reading “HAH enjoy the gift.”
NBC News - Unglesbee faces charges of false information and hoaxes, and mailing threatening communications.
NBC News - The FBI is separately investigating suspicious-substance letters sent to members of Congress and elections officials.
Drudge Report - Its headline also reports that a man was charged with mailing threatening letters containing a white substance to members of Congress.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Preliminary testing of the powder did not detect any biological or chemical toxin.
The Guardian - Staff at the four congressional offices did not open the envelopes; offices alerted one another to watch for mail bearing Unglesbee’s name.
The Guardian - FBI personnel trained to handle weapons of mass destruction and biochemical-toxin threats were sent to three offices, and hazmat teams responded at two.
The Guardian - Ryan Presley, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Springfield field office, said mailing unknown substances “creates fear and disrupts the public institutions vital to our democracy.”
ABC7 Chicago - Authorities have not identified who may be responsible for other threatening mailings reported around the country.
ABC7 Chicago - Unglesbee is charged only in connection with the four letters sent to the lawmakers’ offices.
ABC7 Chicago - Quigley said, “We're in a climate where threats and intimidation like this have become normalized.”
ABC7 Chicago - The letters prompted hazmat responses after congressional staff encountered envelopes containing a white substance.
ABC7 Chicago - Quigley said, “You can imagine what it's like for a staff person to grab the envelopes, the mail, and a big puff of powder comes up.”
ABC7 Chicago - Schneider thanked law enforcement “for treating this investigation with the seriousness it deserves.” Schakowsky said, “I will not let threats stand in the way of serving the people of the 9th District.” Quigley said, “My office is open, accessible, ready for business, and we're not going to let anyone intimidate us.”
NBC News - Four letters containing a white granular substance were mailed to members of Congress in envelopes bearing Unglesbee’s name and home address.
NBC News - The FBI says Unglesbee allegedly admitted mailing the four letters and knew people would perceive them as dangerous.
NBC News - Unglesbee said the substance was salt and that it “kind of looks like” anthrax; he denied involvement in earlier mailings.
NBC News - A search of Unglesbee’s residence found a fifth, empty, unmailed envelope addressed to a member of Congress.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The letters were sent to congressional offices in northern Illinois; the empty, unsent envelope found at Unglesbee’s home was addressed to a Washington, D.C., office.
ABC7 Chicago - Unglesbee was arrested at his home in Quincy; investigators said the letters were mailed from Quincy and postmarked in Springfield.
NBC News - The charges were filed in Illinois; the letters were delivered to congressional offices.
WHEN:
The Guardian - Unglesbee was tentatively scheduled for a detention hearing on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Springfield.
NBC News - The FBI received an anonymous tip on Oct. 16. The letters arrived at congressional offices three days later.
NBC News - Unglesbee was scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Monday afternoon.
WHY:
ABC7 Chicago - Unglesbee told the FBI the mailings were intended as a joke and inspired by other threatening letters sent to public officials nationwide.
NBC News - Unglesbee allegedly said he mailed the letters after hearing about other letters mailed earlier in the month.
HOW:
ABC7 Chicago - An anonymous tipster contacted the FBI after allegedly overhearing Unglesbee discussing the mailings in a restaurant.
NBC News - An anonymous online tipster told the FBI they had overheard Unglesbee discussing mailing a suspicious substance to members of Congress.
NBC News - The FBI responded after the letters arrived at congressional offices.
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 19:02 UTC)
Matthew Unglesbee, 37, has been charged in Illinois with mailing threatening letters containing a white granular substance to four members of Congress: Representatives Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider and Jan Schakowsky, and Senator Tammy Duckworth. The FBI says Unglesbee allegedly admitted sending the letters as a joke, claiming the substance was salt, and investigators found a fifth, empty envelope addressed to another congressional office; preliminary testing detected no biological or chemical toxin. An anonymous tip led investigators to Unglesbee, who faces charges of false information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications, while the FBI continues to investigate other suspicious-substance letters sent to public officials.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 16:07 UTC)
A 37-year-old Illinois man, Matthew Unglesbee, has been charged with mailing threatening letters containing a white granular substance to four members of Congress. The letters, addressed to Representatives Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider and Jan Schakowsky, and Senator Tammy Duckworth, prompted hazmat responses; the FBI says Unglesbee admitted mailing them and told investigators the substance was salt, intended as a joke. He faces charges of false information and hoaxes, and mailing threatening communications, while the FBI separately investigates other suspicious-substance letters sent to public officials.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 09:08 UTC)
Matthew Unglesbee, 37, has been charged in Illinois with mailing threatening communications and making false statements and hoaxes after four letters containing a white granular substance were sent to members of Congress. The letters went to Representatives Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider and Jan Schakowsky, and Senator Tammy Duckworth, prompting hazardous-materials responses; the FBI says Unglesbee admitted mailing them, while claiming the substance was salt and that he intended the letters as a joke. An anonymous tip led investigators to Unglesbee’s home in Quincy, where they found an empty envelope addressed to another member of Congress, and the FBI is separately investigating other suspicious-substance letters sent to public officials.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 04:08 UTC)
Matthew Unglesbee, 37, was charged in Illinois with mailing threatening communications and making false statements and hoaxes after four letters containing a white granular substance were sent to members of Congress. The letters, addressed to Representatives Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider and Jan Schakowsky and Senator Tammy Duckworth, prompted hazmat responses; Unglesbee allegedly admitted mailing them, said the substance was salt, and described the mailings as a joke inspired by other threats. The FBI investigation began after an anonymous tip, and a search of Unglesbee’s Quincy home found an empty envelope addressed to another member of Congress.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 22:11 UTC)
Matthew Unglesbee has been charged in Illinois with mailing threatening letters containing a white granular substance to four members of Congress. The FBI says he allegedly admitted sending the letters, which included taunting notes, and said the substance was salt that looked somewhat like anthrax; a search of his home found an empty envelope addressed to another member of Congress. The FBI investigation began after an anonymous tip, and authorities say Unglesbee told investigators he mailed the letters after hearing about earlier mailings.