Illinois man charged for allegedly sending white powder to members of Congress in Chicago area

An Illinois man was charged with two felonies on Monday for allegedly mailing letters containing a white powdery substance to members of Congress in the Chicago area, according to a criminal complaint. 

Matthew G. Unglesbee was charged with false information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications, CBS News reported. 

Four members of Congress received the letters, and investigators say Unglesbee put his real name and mailing address on the letters. 

The FBI was notified about the first three letters, which contained "a white granular substance" and a handwritten letter reading "HA HA," according to court documents. Two or three days later, the FBI received a report of a fourth letter. It also contained a white grainy substance and a letter reading, "HAH enjoy the gift." 

Law enforcement testing did not detect that the substance was harmful or toxic. 

According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, the FBI received an anonymous tip who said they heard Unglesbee say he mailed the letter to people across the country. Though it's not clear what role the tip played in leading investigators to Unglesbee's home since they say he put his real name and address on the envelopes. 

When the FBI went to Unglesbee's home, according to court documents, he admitted to the officers he mailed the letters after overhearing someone talking about other letters containing white powder that were sent to members of Congress. 

According to the criminal complaint against Unglesbee, he claimed he was only joking but realized that the recipients could perceive the joke as a threat. 

“The use of the mail to threaten others, including the mailing of threatening substances, will not be tolerated. These threats will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. My office appreciates the resources dedicated by the FBI and our law enforcement partners to keep our citizens safe,” U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore said in a statement.