A Minnesota man was arrested and is facing federal charges after allegedly offering $45,000 for the killing of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, 29-year-old Tyler Avalos allegedly published the threat on TikTok, saying he wanted Bondi "dead or alive" but "preferably dead," according to an affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Caleb Jurchisin.

The FBI said that the investigation into Avalos began on Oct. 9 after receiving a tip from a Detroit-based TikTok user, who flagged the post to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center.

The TikTok that Avalos is alleged to have posted included a picture of Bondi "with a sniper-scope red dot" on her forehead, the affidavit said.

"Additionally, the suspect user posted a comment below the description that reads 'cough cough'/'when you don't serve us then what?' " Jurchisin said.

When reached by USA TODAY, Avalos' attorney Daniel Gerdts said, "Mr. Avalos is not guilty of any crime."

Avalos was located after TikTok, Google and Comcast provided FBI agents with information showing that he signed up for the social media platform using a Samsung Galaxy phone, investigators said.

According to the affidavit, Avalos has had prior convictions. In July 2022, he was convicted in a stalking case in Dakota County, Minnesota, as well as a domestic battery charge in Polk County, Florida, in August 2016. Apart from those two cases, the affidavit said Avalos has a 2019 misdemeanor battery case out of Dakota County, "which appears to have been reduced from a felony domestic assault by strangulation."

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man arrested after allegedly offering $45,000 for killing of AG Pam Bondi, feds say

Reporting by Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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