TAMPA, FL – A 69-year-old man from San Diego was arrested earlier in October after authorities say he mailed a letter to the Tampa, Florida, home of conservative commentator Benny Johnson this past September, which allegedly contained threats against his life.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi held a press conference on October 10 to announce the arrest and charges against George Isbell, a man reportedly residing in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego, California. Isbell stands accused of sending a threatening letter to conservative podcaster Johnson shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk this past September.
Johnson was present during the press conference announcing the charges, providing background on the case and what kicked off the initial investigation. “This individual described orphaning my four beautiful children and widowing my wife,” Johnson stated, mentioning that his wife had been the one to initially read the letter reportedly sent to their residence in Tampa.
The letter reportedly bore a postmark date of September 18, eight days after the assassination of Kirk, and allegedly referred to the aforesaid while vividly describing a hypothetical scenario where Johnson would be publicly executed during a nondescript public appearance.
“The saddest part of your drivel is your contamination of naïve minds,” a portion of the letter allegedly reads, further adding, “Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope! Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight!” Isbell allegedly described Johnson as a “white cis Christian” in the threatening letter, with officials claiming Isbell wrote that everyone like Johnson “needs to be exterminated.”
A forensic lab in Florida reportedly lifted prints off the letter during the investigation, and a positive match for Isbell reportedly came back. Officials say the suspect had a history of sending out similar letters in the past, having sent one such threatening note to a Louisiana State Representative back in 2021.
Isbell was taken into custody on October 7 while near a Costco in Logan Heights, reportedly admitting to investigators that he authored the threatening letter in question as well as others. A subsequent search of Isbell’s home revealed a .357-caliber handgun and four unsent letters, one of which was allegedly addressed to a sitting U.S. senator and bore the names of his three grandchildren with the word “dead” written next to their crossed-out names.
AG Bondi described Isbell as “a coward hiding behind a keyboard, who thought he could get away with this” during the October 10th press conference, emphasizing that lacking proximity will not afford cover for the issuance of true threats.
“We are going to catch you if you think you can do something like this. We don’t care if you’re across the country in California,” AG Bondi stated, adding, “We will find you. We will arrest you, and we will extradite you and bring you to justice. We cannot allow this political violence to continue any longer.”
An extradition hearing for Isbell is scheduled for October 21, and he is currently being held without bail. If convicted, Isbell could face up to five years in federal prison under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c).
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi held a press conference on October 10 to announce the arrest and charges against George Isbell, a man reportedly residing in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego, California. Isbell stands accused of sending a threatening letter to conservative podcaster Johnson shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk this past September.
Johnson was present during the press conference announcing the charges, providing background on the case and what kicked off the initial investigation. “This individual described orphaning my four beautiful children and widowing my wife,” Johnson stated, mentioning that his wife had been the one to initially read the letter reportedly sent to their residence in Tampa.
The letter reportedly bore a postmark date of September 18, eight days after the assassination of Kirk, and allegedly referred to the aforesaid while vividly describing a hypothetical scenario where Johnson would be publicly executed during a nondescript public appearance.
“The saddest part of your drivel is your contamination of naïve minds,” a portion of the letter allegedly reads, further adding, “Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope! Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight!” Isbell allegedly described Johnson as a “white cis Christian” in the threatening letter, with officials claiming Isbell wrote that everyone like Johnson “needs to be exterminated.”
A forensic lab in Florida reportedly lifted prints off the letter during the investigation, and a positive match for Isbell reportedly came back. Officials say the suspect had a history of sending out similar letters in the past, having sent one such threatening note to a Louisiana State Representative back in 2021.
Isbell was taken into custody on October 7 while near a Costco in Logan Heights, reportedly admitting to investigators that he authored the threatening letter in question as well as others. A subsequent search of Isbell’s home revealed a .357-caliber handgun and four unsent letters, one of which was allegedly addressed to a sitting U.S. senator and bore the names of his three grandchildren with the word “dead” written next to their crossed-out names.
AG Bondi described Isbell as “a coward hiding behind a keyboard, who thought he could get away with this” during the October 10th press conference, emphasizing that lacking proximity will not afford cover for the issuance of true threats.
“We are going to catch you if you think you can do something like this. We don’t care if you’re across the country in California,” AG Bondi stated, adding, “We will find you. We will arrest you, and we will extradite you and bring you to justice. We cannot allow this political violence to continue any longer.”
An extradition hearing for Isbell is scheduled for October 21, and he is currently being held without bail. If convicted, Isbell could face up to five years in federal prison under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c).
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