The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested an Oklahoma City man for mailing hundreds of threatening messages to public officials over the past two years, including a suspicious white powder mailed to the Oklahoma State Election Board in September.
Robin Martin has been charged with conveying false or misleading information, as well as mailing threatening communications, according to an affidavit filed on Sunday. The document details how FBI special agents used license plate reader systems, handwriting analysis and USPS business records to pinpoint Martin as the suspect.
In September, the Oklahoma State Election Board and officials in over 15 other states reported receiving envelopes containing a suspicious white powder. Hazmat identified the white substance as flour shortly after receiving the mail.
"Officials were left to open those letters not knowing if the powder inside could sicken or even kill them, and that was the evident intent. Intimidation like this has no place in a Nation governed by the rule of law," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
Oklahoma election officials said the envelopes did not change voter experiences during Tuesday's midterm elections.
The "incident does not impact our ability to conduct elections," State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said in a written statement shortly after receiving the package. "Election officials remain committed to ensuring safe and secure elections."
Investigators have traced the hundreds of envelopes back to Martin, with more than 700 total mailings sent since 2024.
According to a press release, the FBI arrested Martin on Monday. The following day, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shon Erwin in Oklahoma City, where the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma is prosecuting his case with assistance from the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.
Recipients of the letters included Democratic and Republican lawmakers, state election officials, members of the media and federal law enforcement.
All of the 2024 mailings sent to election officials had invisible messages, which were revealed using UV light. Many read "stay on the right side of history, your life might depend on it." In 2026, similar letters persisted, but the messages expanded into emailed threats as well.
"The content of the enclosed letters varied based on the intended recipient, but all pertained to the upcoming 2026 national election," FBI Special Agent David Cole wrote in the affidavit.
This case is actively being investigated by the FBI, the Oklahoma City Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is unclear whether Martin has obtained a lawyer.
