Oklahoma man charged with mailing hundreds of white-powder letters

Washington — An Oklahoma antheral faces national charges aft allegedly sending hundreds of letters containing achromatic pulverization to nationalist officials and media outlets up of some the 2024 and 2026 elections. 

According to charging documents unsealed connected Tuesday, Robin Patrick Martin allegedly sent much than 700 envelopes to nationalist officials of some parties crossed the country. Authorities said the pulverization contained successful the envelopes was nontoxic and said the envelopes had messages written successful UV-reactive ink, not easy seen by the bare eye. 

Martin is charged with 1 number of conveying mendacious oregon misleading accusation and hoaxes and different number of mailing threatening communications. It wasn't instantly wide whether Martin had been taken into custody.

According to an FBI affidavit, Martin "described perceived issues with the 2020 election, claimed that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and voiced concerns regarding immoderate of the aforesaid issues recurring successful the then-upcoming 2024 election."

Some of the messages were marked with instrumentality addresses related to erstwhile office for the Green Party of the United States and Democratic Socialists of America. The DSA has cooperated with the FBI successful its investigation, the affidavit said.

In 1 envelope addressed to the Oklahoma State Election Board up of the 2024 election, Martin allegedly wrote "stay connected the close broadside of past your beingness mightiness beryllium connected it!" Federal prosecutors allege that the handwriting successful that connection was matched with the caller batch of letters done a handwriting analysis.

According to the affidavit, the contented of the letters sent successful 2026 "all pertained to the upcoming 2026 nationalist elections" and Martin allegedly referenced an enactment known arsenic the United States Traitor Elimination Army successful his writings, threatening the recipients with being arrested for treason "OR WORSE!!"

Federal investigators besides intercepted a connection allegedly from Martin to FBI Director Kash Patel. 

Surveillance footage allegedly showed Martin dropping disconnected the envelopes astatine a USPS installation successful some 2024 and 2026, and records analyzed by national instrumentality enforcement allegedly amusement Martin purchased items utilized for the mailing successful August of this year, arsenic good arsenic the ingredients for the "invisible ink" that was utilized to constitute connected the envelopes.

In October, Brendan Donahue, the lawman main inspector astatine the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, confirmed that "suspicious mailings" were sent to "various addresses nationwide," including caput of authorities offices and related predetermination offices. 

The Senate sergeant astatine arms besides issued a announcement to legislature unit informing them of the investigation. Dozens of members of Congress and predetermination officials crossed the state reported being targeted by the mailings.

CBS News has reached retired to the Justice Department for comment.