AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File
A 29-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly posting a $45,000 bounty on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s life in a TikTok post, according to the FBI.
Federal agents say Tyler Maxon Avalos, of Minnesota, was detained on Oct. 16 after a tipster alerted authorities to what prosecutors describe as an online “murder-for-hire” plot targeting Bondi.
Court filings allege Avalos uploaded a photo of the attorney general with a red target icon dotted on her forehead, captioned: “WANTED: Pam Bondi / REWARD: 45,000 DEAD OR ALIVE (PREFERABLY DEAD).” Beneath the image, he reportedly added: “Cough cough. When they don’t serve us, then what?”
Alleged threat as shown in the affidavit. (Screengrab via court document)
Investigators say Avalos, who used the handle “Wacko” also linked to “An Anarchist FAQ book” on his TikTok profile.
Authorities noted his history of violence and prior convictions, including stalking and domestic battery, writing in the affidavit: “[Avalos] has a multistate conviction history including a July 2022 felony stalking conviction from Dakota County, an August 2016 felony third-degree domestic battery from Polk County, Florida, and an April 2016 misdemeanor domestic assault from Dakota County, which appears to have been reduced from a felony domestic assault by strangulation charge.”
He now faces a federal charge of interstate transmission of a threat to injure another person and faces a potential prison sentence under federal law.
The FBI has not commented on any potential motive, but court documents describe Avalos as having “anarchist ties.”
Avalos’ attorney of record, Daniel Gerdts, told Law & Crime that he had no comment, “except to note that” his client “is not guilty of any crime.”
Bondi has not publicly responded to the alleged plot.
