Quincy man charged with mailing white powder to Illinois lawmakers

Springfield, Ill. Federal authorities have charged a 36-year-old man from Quincy with mailing letters containing a white granular substance to four members of the Illinois congressional delegation. A criminal complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois accuses Matthew Unglesbee of mailing threatening communications, false information, and hoaxes.

The letters were postmarked in Springfield on Oct. 19. According to an FBI affidavit, the envelopes contained handwritten messages such as “HA HA” and “HAH enjoy the gift.” Preliminary testing of the white substance did not detect chemical or biological toxins. Investigators also found an empty, unmailed envelope addressed to a congressional office in Washington, D.C., during a search of Unglesbee’s home.

Unglesbee spoke with FBI agents on Sunday and allegedly admitted to mailing the four letters. He told investigators the substance was salt and that he chose it because it resembled anthrax. He stated he expected the powder to be taken seriously and anticipated a hazmat team arriving in white suits. While claiming he was joking, he acknowledged that recipients might perceive the letters as dangerous.

The complaint does not name the four congressional recipients. However, several Illinois lawmakers have recently reported receiving suspicious mail. Democratic Reps. Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider, and Jan Schakowsky each reported receiving suspicious mail. Rep. Quigley and Rep. Schakowsky each reported another letter last week. Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s office confirmed receiving two suspicious letters at her Chicago office in recent weeks.

It has not yet been confirmed that all these incidents are connected to Unglesbee. Rep. Quigley said in a statement that he was “relieved to learn” an arrest had been made in connection with one of two suspicious mailings sent to his Chicago office. He thanked the Chicago Fire Department’s hazardous materials unit for responding to both incidents. Quigley added that the individual responsible, along with whoever sent the other suspicious mail, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Rep. Schakowsky released a statement on Monday afternoon confirming her awareness of the arrest related to a letter sent to her Skokie office last week. She expressed gratitude to law enforcement officers who acted quickly to ensure the safety of her and her staff. Schneider’s office issued a statement last Wednesday noting it had received another piece of suspicious mail at his Lincolnshire office and thanking law enforcement for their investigation.

The investigation into the suspicious mailings continues.