Oklahoma man accused of mail fraud

Robin Martin of Oklahoma City faces federal charges for sending hundreds of letters containing non-hazardous white powder and threatening messages to public officials. The investigation centers on mail sent before the 2024 and 2026 elections, a period when recipients across the country received envelopes marked with ominous warnings. Martin was arrested on Monday and appeared before a federal judge in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

The FBI detailed the case in a court filing released on Tuesday. According to the agency, the powder inside the envelopes was identified as yeast or flour, though not every letter has been fully analyzed. The investigation began in 2024 after election officials in multiple states reported receiving mail with a white substance. One three-page letter declared war on the recipient. Other envelopes contained messages visible only under ultraviolet light, including a warning to stay on the right side of history or one's life might depend on it.

The return address on the mail read U.S.T.E.A., or United States Traitor Elimination Army, located in Takoma Park, Maryland. FBI Agent David Cole stated in a sworn affidavit that a single individual sent more than 700 packages. Each package used a different return address but targeted similar recipients, including election officials, members of Congress, pollsters, media outlets, and federal law enforcement agencies.

The letters frequently warned recipients of imminent arrest for treason or worse. Cole noted that the author described perceived problems with the 2020 election, claiming Donald Trump had won that race. The writer expressed concern that similar issues would repeat in the 2024 election. Federal authorities announced last month that they were investigating letters with suspected substances sent to congressional and election offices nationwide. They advised recipients to treat the mail as potentially dangerous.

The mail campaign led to the evacuation of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma in October. Numerous states reported receiving the letters or having them intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service. The FBI obtained video footage showing Martin's car stopping at mailboxes in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and San Antonio in October. Investigators also collected his fingerprints from a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, whose name was misspelled as Kashyap on the envelope.

Walmart records indicate Martin purchased common household items like turmeric and vinegar to create invisible ink. The FBI believes Martin, operating under the name George Livingston, posted a message to a Socialist Democrats of the United States email list in October. The message warned members they were traitors and could be arrested for treason if they voted on November 3. The group appears to have assisted the FBI in the investigation.