An HIV-positive Ethiopian immigrant with a history of mental illness is in custody after being accused of mailing a letter smeared with his blood to President Barack Obama following his election win, CNN reports.

According to the article, Saad Bedrie Hussein told investigators that the letter—containing his photo, an admission ticket to Obama’s election night victory party and six index cards covered in writing and red stains—was an attempt to get government assistance and tickets to Obama’s January 20 inauguration. The letter, postmarked December 27 and written in an Ethiopian language, also contained an orange powder, which tests revealed to be a drink mix. The letter was addressed to Obama and mailed to the Illinois Department on Aging in Springfield, Illinois.

Hussein said he “purposely cut one of his fingers with a razor so he could bleed on the letter,” according to an affidavit by Terry L. Cullivan, an investigator with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The criminal complaint against Hussein alleges that he “knowingly mailed” the letters containing HIV-positive blood “with the intent to kill or injure another.”

While Hussein denied sending additional letters, the Illinois Department of Revenue notified him that it had received two letters—both containing the same orange powder and what appeared to be dried blood—with Hussein’s return address. The second was addressed simply to “Emanuel,” which investigators believe was meant for Obama aide Rahm Emanuel.