Oklahoma man faces federal charges for mailing hundreds of threat letters

Federal authorities in Oklahoma City charged Robin Martin with sending hundreds of letters containing white powder and threatening messages to public officials, members of Congress, media organizations, and federal agents. The campaign of mailings began prior to the 2024 elections and continued into the current year.

Martin was arrested on Monday and scheduled to appear before a federal court in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. He faces charges for spreading a false report and sending threatening communications through the postal service. Court documents released on Tuesday detail the nature of the items found in the envelopes.

The white powders discovered in the shipments consisted of harmless substances such as flour or yeast. However, FBI officials noted that not all received letters underwent a complete analysis. The investigation initially started in 2024 when election officials in multiple states reported receiving envelopes with a white substance and a three-page letter declaring a state of war.

Some of the messages included warnings written in invisible ink, which were only legible under ultraviolet light. One message read, “Stay on the right side of history! Your life may depend on it!” According to case documentation, the sender used the return address name “USTEA, United States Army of Traitor Elimination” located in Takoma Park, Maryland.

FBI Agent David Cole stated in a sworn declaration that investigators identified more than 700 postal shipments made during the fall of this year that appeared related to the same author. These later shipments used a different return address. The letters targeted elected officials, Congressional members, pollsters, media outlets, and federal agents, with recurring warnings about potential arrests for treason “or something worse!.”

Cole indicated that the author questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election, asserting that Donald Trump had won those votes. The messages also expressed concern that the issues raised might repeat in the 2024 elections. Federal authorities had announced in the previous month that they were investigating the sending of correspondence with suspicious substances to election offices and Congressional offices across the country.

The incidents led to evacuations at election facilities in Louisiana and Oklahoma. Other states, ranging from Idaho to Florida, reported receiving letters or having the Postal Service intercept the shipments. Investigators obtained video recordings showing Martin's vehicle stopping in October in front of mailboxes at Postal Service offices in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Forensic evidence included fingerprints recovered from a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, whose name appeared spelled as “Kashyap” in the envelope. Walmart purchase records showed that Martin bought household items, including turmeric and vinegar, which investigators believe he used to prepare the invisible ink. The investigation also involved the cooperation of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The FBI maintains that Martin used the name George Livingston to post a message on the organization’s email list in October. In that message, he labeled members as traitors and warned they could be arrested for treason if they voted in the November 3 elections. This case joins another federal investigation involving threatening correspondence, where a 37-year-old Illinois man was accused of sending white powder letters to Congress members, one of which included a note reading, “HA, enjoy the gift.”