The brother of the late NFL player and war hero Pat Tillman may face a two-year prison sentence after admitting to firebombing a post office in San Jose this past summer.
Richard Tillman, age 44, drove his car into the post office on Crown Boulevard, igniting the fire around 3 a.m. on July 20, as reported by local news sources.
After being detained for over six months, police charged Richard, whose family mentioned he has struggled with severe mental health issues.
He entered a guilty plea for the malicious destruction of government property charge.
Wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit, Richard was seen smiling as he submitted his plea.
Previously, his now-deleted YouTube account seemed to detail what he called a mission against the government. In a video from July 15, 2025, he stated he wanted to “destroy the entire system,” which included both the U.S. government and what he referred to as the world government.
After the incident, the Tillman family expressed relief that no one was physically injured. They stated that Richard had faced significant mental health challenges for years, adding that accessing the proper care for him had been quite difficult. Richard’s brother, Kevin, noted that this situation, unfortunately, wasn’t surprising given Richard’s struggles.
Richard briefly garnered national attention during his brother’s funeral in 2004, where he challenged religious sentiments expressed during the service. He bluntly remarked, “He’s not with God. He’s really dead. He’s not religious,” showing his straightforward approach to a sensitive topic.
Pat Tillman, who passed away in April 2004 at 27, died during a combat engagement while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan. He left his NFL career as a safety for the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the military.
Pat participated in several operations, including Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was honored with numerous awards posthumously, including the Army Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
Richard, a San Jose native, previously created LUNA-TIKES, a children’s book series inspired by his experiences as a stay-at-home dad, featuring sports-themed characters aimed at teaching empathy and life lessons to children.
