A San Diego man has pleaded guilty to the federal charge of transmitting a threatening communication, admitting that he sent a hate-filled email to a member of the LGBTQ community, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Attorney's Office reported the admission of guilt by George Joseph Wellinger II yesterday. According to details from his plea agreement, Wellinger targeted the victim because of sexual orientation and his animus toward LGBTQ individuals.
Wellinger's threat emerged in the wake of a local news report by KTLA on a hate-inspired murder that occurred in Lake Arrowhead in August 2023. According to a KTLA news report featuring the victim, the email, filled with derogatory language, promised violence and shared a link to where the victim had appeared discussing last year's murder of business owner Laura Ann Carleton for displaying a Pride flag at her shop. Wellinger's email, uncovered during the investigation, stated menacingly, per the U.S. Attorney's Office, "We know what you look like and know where are you are....only a matter of time....Love it....get ur ghey on sister....scissor it up....we coming for ur rainbow azz. Click Click!!!"
The incident set the tragic backdrop to this case on August 18, 2023, when Carleton, an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, was fatally shot. The perpetrator, Travis Ikeguchi, was subsequently killed by law enforcement after fleeing the scene of the crime. Wellinger faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for his actions, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 9, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez.
The FBI continues to encourage anyone who believes they have been the subject of a hate crime to come forward and file a report at www.tips.fbi.gov. The case against Wellinger, under case number 24-CR-1591, is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline M. Jimenez and Alicia Williams, and the conviction serves as a stark reminder of the federal government's stance against hate crimes and threats based on sexual orientation or identity. Communicating threats across state lines compounds the crime under Title 18, U.S.C., § 875(c), which Wellinger has admitted to, thereby advancing justice in the shadow of tragedy.
