Federal officials unsealed charges Tuesday against Robin Martin, an Oklahoma man, for mailing more than 700 letters containing suspicious substances to election officials across all 50 states and members of Congress of both parties.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma filed two charges against Martin: conveying false or misleading information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications. Martin made his first court appearance Tuesday.
The complaint alleges Martin sent the letters ahead of the 2024 election. The suspicious white substances tested as nontoxic and are believed to be yeast or flour. Some letters contained messages visible only under ultraviolet light and claimed President Donald Trump won the 2020 election while raising concerns about the 2024 count.
The 2024 letters used a return address of a business office in Maryland. The 2026 letters used a return address previously tied to a Democratic Socialists of America office. Neither address was connected to Martin, the complaint says.
The DSA provided officials with documents showing someone identifying themselves as "George Livingston" contacted DSA officials in October and said they would be arrested for "TREASON AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." Those messages contained similarities to the 2024 letters, according to the complaint.
Investigators tracked Martin's phone to locations where letters were sent and his car on surveillance footage. They also tracked purchases of turmeric and vinegar, which could create ink visible under UV light.