Taylor Bullard, a 34-year-old jerky seller from Houston, allegedly sent a disturbing email on December 12, warning the bank’s collection agency that he would target its executives. Bullard was upset about a $543 debt he disputed, which he claimed he had already paid. The email, which was sent to Capital One’s collections department, included a chilling message: “Call me before I show up to one of their locations with a machete and gasoline. You have ruined my ability to buy a home… I will be coming after your executive team personally.”
Bullard added: “Please call me before I do things that are unforgivable and make your executive team question their life choices.”
The FBI investigated Bullard after they traced the email back to his home. The message was sent in response to an email from Capital One urging Bullard to create a payment plan for his debt.
According to the FBI, Bullard’s threat was not an isolated incident. In 2017, he allegedly made similar threats against another company, saying he would release anthrax at one of its events or harm himself in public. The FBI spoke to him at the time, and he claimed he just wanted to get attention and had no intention of carrying out the threats.
In 2022, Bullard also made threats against a financial institution, saying he would show up at a branch with an assault rifle. That same year, he threatened the car dealer Carvana, accusing them of selling him a faulty vehicle. Social media posts from Bullard included threats to bring chaos to Carvana’s Houston location.
“I’m going to drive the lemon you sold me through your front doors in Friday off i10 in Houston,” Bullard wrote. “Be ready for chaos a**holes[.]”
“@Carvana you will know what you did to me whether you fooking want to or not,” he wrote in another post. “You r***d me and sold me a lemon[.]”
A third read, “F***ing call@me or it’s all over for your sales team in Houston[.]”
However, Bullard’s interaction with another company, Starlink, was much more polite. He asked for help in a friendly tone, explaining his frustration with delays in service.
“Howdy!! Happy Sunday, can someone please give me a more accurate estimate or help me escalate my order?” the message said. “I’ve been waiting 2 years almost to install a line of site antenna and increased single coverage but I’ve cripple [sic] myself while waiting on Starlink promises for so long. Can someone please help me estimate or am I completely on my own?”
After his arrest on December 20, Bullard was charged with sending threatening communications across state lines, a crime that could carry a sentence of up to five years in prison. He was released on a $25,000 bond and will face trial in Virginia, where Capital One is based.
The arrest comes at a time of heightened concern in the corporate world following the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier in December.
