A Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges after the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida reported that he was arrested for making death threats against the Chief Executive Officer of Tampa General Hospital. According to the complaint unveiled by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, 63-year-old Lawrence Brunn of Oakmont, PA, is accused of engaging in cyber harassment against the hospital executive identified only by the initials J.C.
Reportedly, the harassment dates back to 2023 and escalated both in frequency and severity over the past two years. The complaints suggest Brunn's online behavior was particularly disturbing, alleging that he called for J.C.'s execution, with explicit references to beheading by guillotine. In a chilling message from April 9, 2025, Brunn stated that J.C. "should have his head chopped off" and that J.C. "should be scared...of we the people." Furthermore, Brunn is said to have sent mail not just to J.C.'s private residence, but also to the homes of J.C.'s neighbors and members of the hospital's Board of Trustees.
The case arises at a moment when issues of online harassment and threats have become increasingly visible in national conversations. If convicted of the cyber harassment charge, Brunn faces up to five years in a federal prison. It should be noted that an arrest and complaint are initial steps in the judicial process, and a defendant is considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, falls within a broader context of stringent measures against digital threats to public figures. Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich is slated to prosecute the case, with no trial date announced as of yet.
