Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Crime, Law and Justice
Matt Sepic

St. Paul man charged with TikTok death threat of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi

Justice DEA
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Tuesday, July 15, in Arlington, Va.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson | AP

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

A St. Paul man is charged with threatening to kill U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Tyler Maxon Avalos allegedly posted an image of Bondi on TikTok with a sniper scope laser dot on her forehead and the words: "WANTED: Pam Bondi” / “REWARD 45,000 / “DEAD OR ALIVE” / “(PREFERABLY DEAD)“.

According to an affidavit from Twin Cities-based FBI Special Agent Caleb Jurchisin, a TikTok user in Detroit reported the post to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center on Oct. 9. Investigators connected the poster’s TikTok account to a Comcast internet address whose subscriber lives in St. Paul’s North End.

According to court documents, Avalos, 29, posted under the username Wacko, spelled using the circled “A” anarchist symbol. The account also includes the phrase “Make John Brown Proud,” an apparent reference to the 19th century abolitionist.

Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright issued an arrest warrant for Avalos on Oct. 16, and he made his initial appearance in a St. Paul federal courtroom the following day.

The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Avalos with making an online threat, which is a felony.

In an email to MPR News, Daniel Gerdts, Avalos’ attorney, said that his client “committed no crime.”

“Hopefully, the grand jury realizes it is frivolous,” Gerdts added.

Because Avalos was charged by criminal complaint in federal court, he has the right to have a grand jury determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed with the case. By law, grand jury proceedings are secret.

Wright released Avalos with GPS monitoring on Oct. 22 and ordered him to continue his mental health treatment. She also prohibited him from using a computer or any online service without the approval of his probation officer.

Jurchisin noted in the affidavit that Avalos has felony convictions for stalking in Dakota County and domestic battery in Florida.