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Man accused of sending letters with white powder to 4 members of Congress in Illinois: DOJ
ABC7 Chicago • • nation
Key Points:
- Matthew Unglesbee, a 37-year-old man from Quincy, Illinois, was arrested for mailing letters containing a white substance, later identified as salt, to the Chicago-area offices of four members of Congress, prompting hazmat responses and a federal investigation.
- The letters, sent to U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider, Jan Schakowsky, and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, included handwritten notes with phrases like "HA HA" and "HAH enjoy the gift," and were postmarked in Springfield.
- Unglesbee told the FBI the mailings were intended as a joke and inspired by other threatening letters sent to public officials nationwide; an anonymous tipster reportedly alerted the FBI after overhearing Unglesbee discussing the mailings.
- Congressional members expressed concern over the normalization of threats and intimidation against public officials but emphasized their commitment to remaining accessible and continuing their work despite such incidents.
- Unglesbee faces charges related only to these four letters, and authorities have not linked him to other recent threatening mailings reported across the country.
