Oklahoma man charged after sending threat letters to election officials

Federal prosecutors have charged an Oklahoma City man with sending hundreds of threatening letters to state election officials, lawmakers, and media organizations across the United States. Robin Martin faces charges in the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma for conveying false or misleading information and hoaxes, as well as for mailing threatening communications.

The FBI states that the letters sent in early October contained a white powder. Laboratory testing determined the substance was either harmless yeast or flour. The mailings were addressed to state election officials in all 50 states. Investigators also believe Martin sent similar threatening letters to election and postal officials in 2024.

The October letters bore an outdated return address for the Democratic Socialists of America in New York. According to the FBI, Martin contacted the organization in August and obtained the email addresses of its members. Those members were then added to a mailing list that received messages warning they could be arrested if they voted.

Investigators linked Martin to the mailings through surveillance video from postal facilities and a Walmart store. A phone believed to have been used in the scheme was purchased at that Walmart. The bureau also noted that Martin wrote a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel. That letter contained a hidden message in ultraviolet-reactive ink that read FBI SAVE THE USA. Investigators found the same hidden marking on the other threatening letters. Martin's fingerprints were found on the letter to Director Patel.

The evidence connects Martin to a pattern of threatening mail sent over at least the past two years. The October wave represented the largest volume of letters, targeting election offices in every state. The bureau said the letters also raised concerns about issues recurring from the 2024 election cycle. A letter from 2024 claimed President Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

Reuters was unable to contact a legal representative for Martin. The charges were filed in US District Court in Oklahoma. The next step in the legal process involves the court review of the indictment. No hearing date has been publicly set yet.