An Oklahoma City man has been arrested on federal charges that he mailed more than 700 threatening letters to officials nationwide, some laced with white powder, in waves sent in 2024 and again in 2026.
The case against Robin Patrick Martin, 67, was filed in federal court in Oklahoma's Western District. He is charged with sending threats by mail and with perpetrating hoaxes through false or misleading information.
Authorities say the recipients included election administrators, congressional lawmakers, polling firms, news outlets and the FBI itself.
The Oklahoma State Election Board received one such envelope on Oct. 13. The white powder inside prompted an evacuation of offices at the state Capitol, according to the criminal complaint.
Every powder tested so far has turned out to be yeast or flour, an FBI affidavit says.
Two waves of mail
In that affidavit, FBI Special Agent David Cole described a first wave in 2024: packages sent to election officials across all 50 states bearing the return address of a group calling itself the United States Traitor Elimination Army. They held white powder, messages visible only under ultraviolet light and three-page letters headed Declaration of War.
Those packages listed a return address in Takoma Park, Maryland, though investigators found no connection between the sender and that address.
The 2026 wave was larger: more than 700 mailings marked with a return address reading DSA New York NY. FBI field offices concluded they all appeared to come from one sender. Investigators found no evidence tying the Democratic Socialists of America, the nation's largest socialist political organization, to the letters, and the group no longer uses that address, the affidavit says.
The trail to Walmart
Members of the organization told investigators they had also gotten emails from someone using the name George Livingston, who claimed to belong to the Traitor Elimination Army, described an ambush planned for Nov. 3 and warned that casting a ballot in the midterms would amount to treason.
Investigators say the wording of those emails matched messages on the envelopes mailed in October. They linked the emails to a phone number and a cellphone Martin bought at a Walmart in Oklahoma City, and allege he also bought ingredients there capable of producing invisible ink.
According to the affidavit, the October mailings were dropped off at post offices in Oklahoma City, north Texas and San Antonio from Oct. 9 to 13, and investigators followed Martin and his vehicle to each spot.
The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Capitol Police, Oklahoma City police and the Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating. Martin is represented by federal public defenders, including attorney Kiefer Rose.
