Richard Tillman, brother of the late football star and Army ranger Pat Tillman, told authorities he did it to “make a statement to the United States government.”
SAN JOSE, Calif. (CN) — Richard Tillman, brother of the late NFL player and Army ranger Pat Tillman, pleaded “not guilty” on Thursday to federal charges accusing him of crashing his car into a San Jose post office and then setting the building on fire in July.
Tillman, 44, was arraigned in federal court on a felony indictment and formally charged with one count of “malicious destruction of government property by fire.”
Tillman, who appeared in court wearing an orange prison T-shirt, tan slacks and chains around his ankles, was escorted into the courtroom by federal marshals for his hearing. His hair and beard both appeared long, but well-kept.
“Our main objective is to alert you to the indictment returned against you by a grand jury in this district,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins told Tillman.
Tillman said he understood the charge against him and entered a “not guilty” plea through his attorney.
If convicted, Tillman could face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years, a minimum sentence of five years and fines of up to $250,000.
Despite a reportedly outburst-laden hearing in July that involved questioning the ability of his own attorney, Tillman didn’t say much during his arraignment. Tillman was polite and friendly with the judge and courtroom staff during his brief hearing, which lasted less than five minutes in total.
“Awesome. Thank you,” Tillman said to the judge, before walking off with several court documents into the court’s backroom, where he was returned to the custody of U.S. Marshals.
An attorney for Tillman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on the proceedings.
Richard Tillman is the brother of Pat Tillman, an NFL player who gained national attention for leaving his sports career with the Arizona Cardinals and enlisting in U.S. Army Special Operations following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In 2004, Pat Tillman was killed during a friendly fire accident in Afghanistan. Although the Army initially reported that Pat Tillman was killed by enemy fire, a 2007 report released by the Defense Department revealed the truth, making national headlines.
Federal prosecutors claim that around 3:00 a.m. on July 20, 2025, Richard Tillman placed several “instalogs” purchased from a local supermarket in the back of his car, doused them in lighter fluid, and then crashed his car into the Almaden Valley Post Office in South San Jose.
According to the criminal complaint, Tillman then exited his vehicle and used a match to light both the building and his vehicle on fire, all while livestreaming the event on YouTube.
Tillman also admitted to spray painting the words “Viva La Me” on the building after starting the fire, but said he didn’t finish writing his intended message because the heat from the fire became too intense.
Tillman told officers from the San Jose Police Department that he set the building on fire because he was “trying to make a statement to the United States government.”
In a statement to reports, Tillman’s family said it’s “no secret” that he has been battling severe mental health issues for “many years.”
“Unfortunately, securing the proper care and support for him has proven incredibly difficult - or rather, impossible. As a result, none of this is as shocking as it should be,” his brother Kevin Tillman said.
In July, Richard Tillman reportedly posted a video to his YouTube account in which he referred to himself as a god named “Yeshua” and spoke vaguely about doing something in the future. He also made several vaguely threatening Facebook posts, saying that the loved ones of postal workers and other delivery companies could be “dropping dead” soon.
His YouTube account has since been terminated.
Categories /Courts, Criminal
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