FBI Charges Oklahoma Man With Mailing 700+ Hoax Letters to Officials

Federal prosecutors charged Robin Martin of Oklahoma City on Tuesday with conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications. The charges stem from an investigation into hundreds of envelopes containing white powder that were sent to public officials before the 2024 and 2026 elections. Martin was arrested Monday and appeared in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

The FBI said the powders were nonhazardous, identifying them as yeast or flour, though some letters have not been fully tested. Court filings indicate that online records do not list an attorney for Martin, and relatives did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The bureau announced the investigation last month after reporting suspicious substances in mail sent to congressional and election offices nationwide.

The timeline of the mailings began in 2024 when election officials in multiple states reported receiving white substance and a three-page letter declaring war. Some envelopes contained warnings visible only under ultraviolet light, including the phrase “Stay on the right side of history! Your life may depend on it!!” The return address on these letters read “U.S.T.E.A., United States Traitor Elimination Army, Takoma Park, MD.”

Investigators linked more than 700 mailings from this fall to the same sender, according to FBI agent David Cole. These packages were addressed to election officials, members of Congress, pollsters, news media, and federal law enforcement. A common theme in both the 2024 and 2026 batches was a warning about upcoming arrests for treason “or worse!!” Cole noted that the writer claimed President Donald Trump won the 2020 election and voiced concerns about similar issues recurring in the 2024 cycle.

The mailings caused evacuations at election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma. States from Idaho to Florida reported receiving or intercepting the letters. The FBI secured video evidence showing Martin’s car stopping at mailboxes at Postal Service sites in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and San Antonio in October. Investigators also collected his fingerprints from a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, whose first name was spelled “Kashyap.”

Walmart purchase records show Martin bought household items such as turmeric and vinegar to create invisible ink for the ultraviolet messages. The Democratic Socialists of America assisted the investigation after Martin, using the name George Livingston, posted a message to a DSA email list in October. The message warned that members were traitors and eligible for arrest for treason if they voted in the Nov. 3 election.

Martin faces federal charges for his role in the coordinated mail campaign. The FBI continues to process the remaining untested letters from the 700-plus packages associated with the case.