Congress
Illinois Man Charged in White Powder Mailings to Congress
PN Team • 1 week ago
Federal prosecutors have charged Matthew Unglesbee, 37, of Quincy, Illinois, with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax after at least four envelopes containing a white powder, postmarked in Springfield on Oct. 19, were sent to Illinois congressional offices, including Reps. Brad Schneider, Mike Quigley and Jan Schakowsky, with a fifth unmailed envelope addressed to a Washington, D.C. office found during a search. Notes read "HA HA" and "HAH enjoy the gift." Testing found the substance harmless; Unglesbee admitted using salt because it resembled anthrax, telling agents it was a joke inspired by similar nationwide mailings. The FBI arrested him at his mother's Quincy home; he has a prior criminal history including threatening a public official.
Sources:
Sentiment
- United States House of Representatives House members' offices were targeted by threatening mail, a tangential negative association.
- Illinois Illinois is the setting for the crime and victims, a neutral geographic reference.
- United States Congress Congress is mentioned as the target recipient of threatening mailings, a neutral factual reference.