Illinois resident charged with sending salt to members of Congress — The Hill

In the United States, 37-year-old Illinois resident Matthew Anglesby has been federally charged in connection with sending letters containing a white substance to four members of Congress. As The Hill reports, the substance in the envelopes turned out to be salt.

Charges and letters

According to a criminal complaint released on Monday, Anglesby is charged with one count of providing false information and hoaxes, as well as one count of mailing threatening communications. The same day, he made his first appearance in federal court via video.

According to an affidavit, FBI employees arrived at the offices of three members of Congress in the Northern District of Illinois last Wednesday after an anonymous report. There, they found letters containing a white granular substance and handwritten notes reading “HA HA.” Another envelope was found at the office of a U.S. senator; it bore the words: “HAH enjoy the gift.”

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The suspect’s explanation

The FBI said Anglesby was listed as the sender on the envelopes, which also contained his home address. According to court documents, on Sunday he told FBI agents that he had sent the letters as a joke. At the same time, he said he understood that the recipients could perceive the mailings as a threat.

According to case materials, Anglesby explained that he chose salt because it resembles anthrax. He also said that he knew recipients would take such a substance seriously and that specialists in protective suits could be involved. During a search of his residence, investigators also found an empty, unsent envelope addressed to a congressional office in Washington.

In recent weeks, offices of members of Congress from both parties have reported receiving letters containing an unknown white powder, which has become the subject of a federal investigation. Anglesby denied involvement in those other incidents.