Richard Tillman Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Arson in San José Post Office Fire

Richard Tillman, the younger brother of late NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman Jr., pleaded not guilty Thursday to a federal arson charge, about a month after he was arrested near a burning post office in South San José.

Tillman entered the plea in federal court in San José, about two weeks after a grand jury indicted him on one count of malicious destruction of government property by fire.

He was arrested by San José police in the early morning hours of July 20 outside the Almaden Valley U.S. Post Office branch on Crown Boulevard.

Federal postal inspectors say he drove a car full of fireplace logs soaked in lighter fluid into the building, then used a match to light the car on fire.

According to investigative documents filed with the court, Tillman told San José police officers he live-streamed the incident on YouTube using his phone.

He allegedly told officers he did so because he was “trying to make a statement to the United States Government.”

The federal felony charge carries a minimum of five years in prison if convicted, and a maximum of 20 years, along with possible fines and penalties. He is scheduled to appear in federal court again on Oct. 20.

His attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Varell Fuller, has not responded to requests for comment from KQED during the case. Tillman’s immediate family members have also declined interview requests.

His brother, Kevin Tillman, issued a statement on the family’s behalf shortly after the arrest in July, saying Richard Tillman has been dealing with “severe mental health issues” for years.

“He has been livestreaming, what I’ll call, his altered self on social media for anyone to witness. 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,” the statement said.

Richard Tillman also faces three state felony charges in Santa Clara County — arson, vandalism and possession of combustible material or incendiary device for malicious use — stemming from the same incident.

His state case was suspended in July until doctors can evaluate his competency to stand trial. His next state court hearing is set for Aug. 25.

It’s unclear whether the federal case will affect the state case, which has run concurrently to date. In an emailed statement to KQED on Thursday, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said the matter “will be determined at a later date.”

He is being held in Santa Clara County Main Jail, according to county records, but is technically in custody of the U.S. Marshals and is not eligible for bail.

Pat Tillman Jr. was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 when members of his U.S. platoon mistakenly fired on him and an Afghan militia member, thinking they were enemy fighters. The U.S. government subsequently attempted to cover up the truth about his death, including instructing an officer to lie to the family about the circumstances.

In recent years, Richard Tillman frequently livestreamed from inside a car on his YouTube account. He referred to himself as a god-like figure named “Yeshua,” and often railed against the government or the “Hollywood elite.”

A caption of a post on Tillman’s Facebook profile from 2023 included apparent threats to the families of postal workers and other delivery companies.

YouTube terminated his account shortly after the news of the fire became public.