Overview

• A federal criminal complaint unsealed July 31 accuses Richard Tillman of maliciously destroying government property by fire at the Almaden Valley U.S. Post Office.
• Prosecutors allege he placed “instalogs” soaked in lighter fluid inside his vehicle, rammed the post office lobby and ignited the materials with a match.
• Tillman told officers he livestreamed the blaze on YouTube to protest U.S. government actions and spray-painted “Viva La Me” on the building’s exterior.
• Santa Clara County arson and vandalism charges remain suspended pending a court-ordered competency evaluation expected in mid-August.
• He is held in federal custody and is scheduled for a status conference before Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins on August 6.