Story perspectives

Man Charged Over Threatening Letters, “HA HA” Powder

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 6:10 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Unglesbee Charged Threatening Mail

Matthew Unglesbee was charged with sending threatening letters to members of Congress.
The envelopes were white, postmarked Oct. 19 in Springfield and mailed Oct. 16-17 from Quincy.
Each letter contained a white granular substance and a note reading “HA HA” or “HAH enjoy the gift.”
An Oct. 16 tip about Unglesbee discussing the mailings prompted an FBI investigation.
FBI agents interviewed him and later confirmed the powder contained no toxins.

Summary

McFarland Issues Alert

House Sergeant at Arms William P. McFarland issued an Oct. 15 alert urging all to treat white-powder mail as threats.
Congressional staffer Mike Quigley praised hazmat teams after his office identified the suspicious envelope with House security guidance.
Senator Tammy Duckworth’s office confirmed two similar letters, linking her case to the broader suspicious-mail wave.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said a mailed envelope contained baking powder, showing the phenomenon reached officials.

Summary

Unglesbee Detention Hearing

Unglesbee's detention hearing is set for Wednesday at 3 p.m. before a federal judge in Springfield.
NBC 5 Investigates traced Unglesbee’s criminal record to 2009, including a sex-offense conviction involving a 15-year-old.
Court filings list prior convictions for drunken driving, assault, and impersonating police officers.
An unmailed envelope addressed to a Washington, D.C., congressional office was found in the FBI search of his home.

History

Historical Context

The 2001 anthrax letters, mailed in September and October 2001, killed five people and infected seventeen, sparking a nationwide bioterror scare. The FBI, CDC, and US Postal Service traced the spores to a single laboratory, allocating $1 billion in emergency response funding. Today's white-powder envelopes to Congress members echo those anthrax threats, prompting House Sergeant William P. McFarland’s alert and FBI scrutiny of Matthew Unglesbee. The precedent shows that even non-lethal powder mail can trigger extensive security protocols and legislative measures to protect democratic institutions.

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Unglesbee Charged Threatening Mail

Matthew Unglesbee was charged with sending threatening letters to members of Congress.
The envelopes were white, postmarked Oct. 19 in Springfield and mailed Oct. 16-17 from Quincy.
Each letter contained a white granular substance and a note reading “HA HA” or “HAH enjoy the gift.”
An Oct. 16 tip about Unglesbee discussing the mailings prompted an FBI investigation.
FBI agents interviewed him and later confirmed the powder contained no toxins.

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