Anthrax Hoax With A Return Address?

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An Illinois man accused of mailing fake anthrax threats to four members of Congress allegedly wrote his own name and home address on every envelope, according to federal prosecutors.

Quick Take

Matthew Unglesbee, of Quincy, Illinois, faces federal charges for allegedly mailing white powder to four congressional offices.
Court documents say each envelope carried his real name and address as the return address.
Unglesbee reportedly told agents the powder was table salt, chosen because it “kind of looks like anthrax.”
He allegedly admitted the mailings were a joke but knew recipients could see them as a real threat.

Charges Filed Against Quincy Man

Federal prosecutors charged Matthew Unglesbee with mailing hoax letters containing an unknown substance to four members of Congress. The Department of Justice announced the arrest, saying the charges stem from a criminal complaint rather than a finished investigation. He faces counts under federal laws covering false information, hoaxes, and threatening communication.

Investigators say all four envelopes were plain white, handwritten, and postmarked from Springfield, Illinois, on October 19. Each one allegedly contained a white granular substance and was sent to Illinois congressional offices. According to reporting on the complaint, every envelope listed Unglesbee’s actual name and home address as the sender, a detail that quickly tied the case to him.

Suspect Allegedly Picked Salt to Mimic Anthrax

During an FBI interview, Unglesbee reportedly said the substance was ordinary table salt. He allegedly explained he chose it because it “kind of looks like anthrax,” according to the account summarized in the complaint. Investigators say he knew the mailings could prompt recipients to call in hazmat crews, since anthrax is a known biological danger.

Notes found with the letters allegedly included phrases like “HAH enjoy the gift” and “HA HA,” according to court filings described in news reports. Agents also say they found a fifth, unmailed envelope addressed to a Washington, D.C., congressional office during a search of Unglesbee’s home, suggesting he may have planned to send more.

Suspect Denies Wider Mailing Campaign

Unglesbee’s case follows a string of similar white-powder mailings sent to congressional and election offices around the country in recent weeks. But he reportedly denied any role in those other mailings when agents questioned him. He said he sent his letters only after hearing news coverage of the earlier incidents, not as part of a coordinated campaign.

He also told agents he meant the letters as a joke, according to the complaint, but acknowledged that recipients would have no way of knowing that and could reasonably see the mailings as a threat. Lab testing reportedly confirmed the substance was salt, not a hazardous material, which supports the hoax charges filed against him rather than charges tied to an actual biological attack.

A Familiar Pattern With Real Consequences

White-powder hoaxes have become a recurring problem since the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings, which killed several people and triggered national fear of contaminated mail. Public health officials in Georgia alone fielded thousands of suspicious-powder reports in the years that followed, almost none of which involved real anthrax, yet each one still demanded a full emergency response.

That history explains why federal law treats these hoaxes as serious crimes, even when the substance turns out to be harmless. Courts have upheld convictions in similar cases, ruling that prosecutors do not need to prove the sender intended real harm, only that the mailing was designed to cause fear or disruption. Unglesbee’s case will now move through that same legal framework as a complaint, not a conviction.

An Illinois man allegedly mailed letters filled with white powder to four members of Congress — then put his own return address on every single one.

Matthew G. Unglesbee now faces two felony charges after the FBI says he sent the letters as a fake anthrax hoax, telling law… pic.twitter.com/IYM3rBsO7f

— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) October 27, 2026

The Department of Justice has released limited details so far because the case remains at the complaint stage, leaving many questions unanswered. Prosecutors have not yet made public the full criminal complaint, lab reports, or handwriting analysis tying Unglesbee directly to every envelope. Those records, along with testimony from congressional staff who received the letters, are likely to shape how the case proceeds in court.