DOJ Charges Man for Threatening Attorney General on TikTok

The Department of Justice has charged an individual linked to a TikTok post that allegedly offered $45,000 for the assassination of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

According to federal officials, another TikTok user alerted the FBI about Tyler Maxon Avalos’ post on October 9. Court documents, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, included screenshots of the purported threat.

The threatening post featured an image of Attorney General Pam Bondi with a red dot, resembling a sniper’s crosshair, on her forehead. The captions read: “Wanted: Pam Bondi,” “Reward: 45,000,” “Dead or Alive,” and “(Dead Preferably).” The suspect reportedly added a comment stating, “*cough cough* / What if we don’t provide the service?” according to the affidavit.

Avalos was arrested on October 16. He faces charges for interstate transmission of threats to harm another person, which could lead to a maximum prison sentence of five years. This is based on 18 USC 875.

The affidavit also detailed Avalos’ criminal background, noting prior convictions in various states, including a felony stalking conviction in Dakota County in July 2022, and other charges dating back to 2016 in Florida. One of his previous offenses was a misdemeanor domestic assault, which was reportedly downgraded from a felony charge.

Pam Bondi was appointed Attorney General by President Donald Trump in November 2024, after a previous nomination was retracted. She has an extensive legal background as a prosecutor spanning 18 years and served two terms as Florida’s attorney general. Additionally, Bondi holds a Ph.D. from the America First Institute and represented Trump during his first impeachment trial.

As of now, Bondi has not provided any public remarks in response to this incident.