Illinois Man Charged Over Letters to Congress

Matthew G. Unglesbee was charged in federal court with mailing threatening communications and providing false information or perpetrating a hoax after four members of Congress in Illinois received letters containing a white granular substance, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday. The letters bore Unglesbee’s name and return address, the complaint says. Three were recovered from congressional offices in northern Illinois on October 21, and a fourth was found at a U.S. senator’s office on October 23. The notes included the handwritten messages “HA HA” and “HAH enjoy the gift.” None of the recipients opened the letters, according to the complaint. Preliminary testing did not detect chemical or biological toxins in the substance, the complaint states. It does not establish the substance’s exact composition. Unglesbee reportedly told FBI investigators that the material was salt and that he chose it because it resembled anthrax. According to the complaint, Unglesbee said he sent the letters as a joke after hearing someone discuss other suspicious mailings. He also acknowledged that recipients might regard the letters as a threat and that the powder could prompt a...