SAN JOSE, CA — The brother of the late Pat Tillman has pleaded guilty in federal court to setting fire to a U.S. Post Office in San Jose, California, last summer. The crime destroyed the building’s public lobby and left it closed for months.
Richard Tillman, 44, admitted in court that he intentionally set the fire at the post office during the early morning hours of July 20, 2025. According to court documents,
Tillman said he carried out the arson to “make a point to the United States government.”
Prosecutors say Tillman prepared for the attack by purchasing firelogs and lighter fluid. He then drove to the post office, backed his vehicle through the building’s front entrance, got out of the car, spread lighter fluid inside the vehicle, and ignited it with a match before leaving the scene. The fire quickly spread from the vehicle to the building, completely destroying the lobby.
After the July crash, his brother Kevin Tillman told ABC15 that Richard Tillman had been suffering from “severe mental health issues” for many years, and the family was relieved no one was hurt.
Before the fire, the post office lobby was open during business hours for retail services and access to post office boxes. Since the fire, the lobby has remained closed and unavailable to the public.
Tillman was initially charged by criminal complaint in July 2025 and was later indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 7, 2025, on one count of malicious destruction of government property.
He now faces a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years, along with a possible $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila. He remains in federal custody.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, along with officials from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI.
Pat Tillman left the Arizona Cardinals to join the military after 9/11 and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 at age 27. His family is from the San Jose area.
Kevin Tillman also left his Major League Baseball career with the Anaheim Angels to serve in the military.
