White powder letters: Oklahoma man charged over hoax mail to officials

Federal prosecutors have charged Robin Patrick Martin, 67, of Oklahoma City, over hundreds of threatening letters, many containing white powder, mailed to state election officials, members of Congress, the FBI and others, the Justice Department said on November 3. The powder was later found to be non-hazardous, and he is charged with conveying hoaxes and mailing threatening communications.

Key points#

The FBI arrested Martin early Monday, and he made his initial appearance in federal court in Oklahoma City on November 3, the Justice Department said.
Investigators believe more than 700 mailings this fall appeared to come from the same sender, the Associated Press reported.
The powders turned out to be yeast or flour, though not all letters have been fully tested, according to the AP.
The mailings led to the evacuation of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma, the AP reported.
Postal inspectors recovered the majority of the mailings before they reached the people they were addressed to, the Justice Department said.

What investigators describe#

The Oklahoma State Election Board told the FBI on October 13 that it had received a threatening letter containing white powder, the Justice Department said. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service had been investigating similar letters sent to state election officials since 2024.

Recipients included election boards, secretary of state offices, election pollsters and media organizations, according to the release. Numerous states, from Idaho to Florida, said they received letters or had them intercepted by the Postal Service, the AP reported.

Some letters carried warnings that could be read only under ultraviolet light, and last month federal authorities urged recipients to treat the mailings as potentially hazardous, the AP reported.

After investigating the October 13 envelope at the State Election Board, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said it would not affect the ability to hold the election, FOX 25 reported.

"No one should have to wonder whether a letter in the mail poses a danger," Doug Goodwater, special agent in charge of the FBI's Oklahoma City office, said in the release. The department notes that a complaint is merely an allegation and that Martin is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Why it matters beyond election offices#

The same kind of envelope can arrive at any front desk or mailroom a guard company staffs, and officers are often the first to handle it.

What it means for your company#

Put a suspicious mail procedure in the post orders. Tell officers what to do with an envelope that leaks powder or looks wrong: do not open or shake it, set it down, keep people away, wash their hands and call emergency services and the client's contact. Put it in the site's post orders.
Train it, do not just write it. Walk new officers through the procedure at the desk where mail arrives, and repeat it in site training.
Agree on evacuation with the client. Decide in advance who orders a lobby or floor cleared, where people go and who meets responders.
Report every case in full. Have the officer file an incident report with times, who touched the item, who was called and what responders did.
Leave testing to responders. Officers should never try to identify a substance. Check local emergency guidance, and ask an attorney about any legal questions.

In Guardix, officers acknowledge post orders in the mobile app and managers see who has not, so a new mail procedure does not go unread.

Frequently asked questions#

Who was charged in the white powder letters case?#

Robin Patrick Martin, 67, of Oklahoma City, is charged with conveying false or misleading information and hoaxes and with mailing threatening communications, the Justice Department said. A complaint is only an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Was the white powder in the letters dangerous?#

The powders turned out to be nonhazardous, yeast or flour, though not all letters have been fully tested, the AP reported. Federal authorities had urged recipients to treat the mailings as potentially hazardous.