Oklahoma Man Charged with Mailing Over 700 Hoax Letters Containing White Powder to U.S. Officials

The suspect, an Oklahoma City man, is accused of mailing hoax letters with white powder and treason warnings.

A man from the Midwest faces federal charges after allegedly mailing hundreds of suspicious letters containing a white powder and threatening warnings about treason ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

On Tuesday, Robin Patrick Martin, a 67‑year‑old Oklahoma City resident, appeared in a U.S. district court for the first time after his arrest the previous day.

He is charged with conveying false or misleading information or hoaxes and with mailing threatening communications.

Prosecutors say Martin sent more than 700 letters filled with a white powder to hundreds of state and federal officials, including members of Congress and election pollsters.

Initial tests identified the powder as nonhazardous, likely yeast or flour, though not all letters have been examined.

In an affidavit, FBI agent David Cole described the letters as expressing grievances about election integrity.

“The writer described perceived issues with the 2020 election, claimed that President Donald Trump won that election, and voiced concerns about similar issues in the upcoming 2024 election,” Cole wrote.

The letters warned recipients they could face arrest for treason “or worse.”

One note read, “Stay on the right side of history! Your life may depend on it,” in ink visible only under ultraviolet light, according to the FBI.

Trump, a Republican, has repeatedly asserted false claims of election rigging to argue he—rather than Democrat Joe Biden—won the 2020 presidential election.

These false claims helped motivate supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to disrupt certification of the vote.

Since his 2024 re‑election, Trump has continued to use his platform to spread fears of election fraud, which is exceedingly rare in the United States.

The investigation leading to Martin’s arrest dates back to 2024, when election officials in multiple states reported receiving mail containing a white substance.

The letters bore a return address for the fictional “United States Traitor Elimination Army” in Takoma Park, Maryland.

The FBI said it gathered video footage of Martin visiting U.S. Postal Service locations in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and San Antonio, Texas, to send the mailings.

Agents also obtained his fingerprints on a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) assisted in the probe after a suspect believed to be Martin sent messages to the group’s mailing list.

Those messages echoed the mailed letters, calling DSA members traitors and accusing them of treason for voting in Tuesday’s midterm election.

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