Texas Man Allegedly Threatens Capital One Executives Over Claims of Stolen ‘Life He Deserves’

A client at odds with Capital One over a disputed debt is facing a half-decade in federal prison after allegedly threatening to assassinate the executives he blames for “destroying” his life.

According to an FBI, complaint published eight days after his detention, Houston, Texas resident and aspiring beef jerky entrepreneur Taylor Bullard told the bank’s collections agency in an email on December 12 that he had previously paid the sum in question and that they were pursuing him in error.

“Call me before I show up at one of their locations with a machete and gasoline,” Bullard wrote, according to an email snapshot provided in the affidavit. “You have wrecked my opportunity to purchase a home. I’m 34 with a $100,000+ career, and it’s time to target the people and companies who have harmed my ability to live the life I deserve. I will go after your executive team directly. Please contact me before I do something unforgivable that will make your executive team reconsider their life choices. Thank you! Taylor Bullard.

According to the affidavit, Bullard sent the note in response to Capital One’s email “urging [him] to create a payment plan to resolve his approximately $543 debt with the company.”

According to the affidavit, FBI officials linked the sender’s IP address to Bullard’s house and requested his Google email data.

Bullard sought a court-appointed attorney, but no one has yet been mentioned on the docket. Bullard’s phone number, which he supplied in his release papers, went directly to voicemail on Wednesday. A request for feedback received via email to Capital One was met with an out-of-office auto-response that was valid until January 2.

Investigators looked into Bullard’s past and discovered at least three previous threats to corporations that he thought had “wronged” him, according to the affidavit. In 2017, Bullard emailed an anonymous corporation, for an undefined transgression, saying he meant “to release anthrax at one of their events and/or kill himself in public.”

The FBI questioned Bullard at the time, and he told agents that “he wanted attention, wanted to see the companies sweat, and did not intend to hurt himself or others,” according to the affidavit.

In 2022, Bullard threatened to fire up an open branch with an AK-47 and damage an ATM, according to an affidavit.

Bullard threatened Carvana with mass violence that same year, saying the online auto dealer sold him a damaged vehicle, according to the affidavit. The company’s name is suppressed in court documents, but other posts in which Bullard promised vengeance are still available on social media.

“I’m going to drive the lemon you sold me through your front doors in Friday off i10 in Houston,” Bullard wrote on one of them. “Be ready for chaos a**holes[.]”

“@Carvana you will know what you did to me whether you fooking want to or not,” he stated in another. “You r***d me and sold me a lemon[.]”

The final line was: “F***ing call@me or it’s all over for your sales team in Houston”

However, a check of Bullard’s social media activity reveals a different tone with Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider. In a 2022 message posted on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter and also controlled by Musk, Bullard attached a screenshot of a service request with the subject line “Data speeds are zero,” and gently requested an update.

“Howdy!! Happy Sunday! Could someone possibly offer me a more realistic estimate or assist me with escalating my order? The message stated. “I’ve been waiting for two years to put a line-of-sight antenna and boost single coverage, but I’ve crippled myself by waiting on Starlink promises for so long. Can you please help me estimate, or am I fully on my own?”

In a follow-up message, Bullard referred to Musk’s brother, a Starlink executive, saying, “Please help me through the appropriate channels; I’m not afraid to approach Kimbal to have this situation worked out and present y’all some grassfed jerky and steaks. Thank you, Taylor.

Corporate America has been on high alert since UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4. Following a multi-state manhunt, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was arrested for Thompson’s murder and faces both state and federal charges. When Mangione was apprehended, he was carrying a gun similar to the one used to murder Thompson, as well as a brief manifesto.

On December 20, the US Marshals Service detained Bullard in Houston. He was charged with one count of sending threatening interstate communications, punishable by up to five years in jail, and freed on a $25,000 bond. Bullard will face trial in Virginia, where Capital One is headquartered.