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Man who threatened SLO County official seeks plea agreement

May 2, 2026

David Platek

By KAREN VELIE

The man accused of planning to kill San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow is likely to be released from prison in less than a year because of a plea agreement.

On Jan. 24, 2025, FBI agents disrupted David Platek’s plan to kill Dow and then explode a bomb at Templeton High School with the goal of murdering 400 people in an attempt to extract retribution over his 2019 arrest for allegedly impersonating a local activist. Platek remains in federal custody.

In an attempt to secure a shorter prison sentence, Platek agreed to plead guilty to one of four charges of making terrorist threats. If approved, Platek will be released from prison in Jan. 2027.

In addition, Platek agreed to the search of his electronic devices and to have no contact with Dow or his family members.

Platek’s trial for allegedly making terrorist threats is slated to start in July. However, if the plea agreement is approved there will be no trial. Instead, he will have a sentencing hearing likely in August.

In 2019, SLO County prosecutors charged Platek with felony identity theft tied to his work as a political consultant. Platek provided information technology services to former Supervisor Adam Hill and several other candidates for local offices.

Local activist Kevin Rice regularly criticized Hill and his allies in the comment section of the SLO Tribune.

In 2018, Platek created a Facebook page in which he pretended to be Rice and then made a comment under a Tribune article about a convicted sex offender, saying that he (as Rice) had also had sex with children, and it was not all that uncommon.

Shortly afterwards, Aaron Ochs, a local troll known for spreading misinformation on behalf of Hill, wrote on his own Facebook page that Rice admitted to being a sex offender.

The SLO County District Attorney’s Office mounted an investigation that uncovered Platek’s role in attacking Hill’s critics. Prosecutors then filed two counts of felony identity theft and one related misdemeanor charge against Platek.

Hill committed suicide in 2020 after FBI agents raided his county office. Without Hill’s testimony, the SLO County District Attorney’s Office dropped the prosecution against Platek.

Even so, Platek claimed that the publicity surrounding his arrest ruined his professional career when he explained why he wanted to kill Dow, his family and schoolchildren.

“Everything I’m told says killing kids is the most pain I can inflict, and I have the right to fight back against the people who did this to me. A primal right,” Platek wrote. “Bullets are cheap and children are plentiful. SLO wants to destroy my life, I’ll blow up one of their schools.”

From Dec. 7, 2024 through Dec. 16, 2024, Platek sent dozens of texts to an acquaintance outlining his plans for revenge, while also sending threats via social media to Dow.

Platek planned to make a bomb from explosives and fertilizer, rent a van and drive from his home in Missouri to SLO County. After killing Dow, he would explode the bomb at the school the prosecutor’s children attended.

Federal agents arrested Platek on Jan. 2, 2025 in Missouri.

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“Leftists are the sons of a thousand whores.”- Argentine President Javier Milei, July 13, 2024 (applies to the entire globe)


1

If he was so angry about being charged for impersonation that he planned to kill hundreds of children and the SLO County DA, how angry will he now be after jail time and much more serious charges? He is dangerous and cannot be let loose on the public. It doesn’t serve him or us. To do so would itself be insanity, not to mention, just plain stupidity.


10

If he is young enough, he should be required to serve in the U.S. Army. If that is not an option, then twice the term in a Federal Pen with their option for ranks. This is a deranged person that needs to earn his way back to center. Just as it is said, “if a person threatens to kill you, you must pay attention”. To engage in other nefarious activities codifies the need.


0

No. God no! The military is NOT a social program. We do NOT need, want, nor require anyone that is looney toons, in order to “earn” their way back into a sane society….because that will get more innocent people hurt or dead.


Yes, too many lose their “composure” while serving, but God help us if they’re off their nut from the git-go.


10

I certainly see your point. My thought is that he would fail basic training then have to go the other route, just giving him a chance to a learning experience before prison teaches him the other options.


0

If Platek had planned to kill any one of the many liberal SLO politicians like Bruce or Jimmy, that plea bargain would never had seen the light of day.


7

Scum partners with scum. These creeps are part and parcel of how democrats operate in Cal… and elsewhere. Remember when Hill threatened current Pismo mayor Ed Waage with strange voice mails? And oh by the way, Hill was offed. No way he took his own life. He was far too arrogant to cop out. Just sayin.And this weirdo Platek should never be let out. He’s way too dangerous.


20

Platek anger at dow seems misplaced. Seems it would be better placed at the political machine that hired him to target Kevin Rice (and most likely others) – more likely than not its the same political machine that target Velie and others in SLO – often intending at all costs to destroy the target and their families.


Dow was just doing his Job – what Platek did to Rice was disgusting and unwarranted harassment – that assumedly caused Rice extreme distress and damage.


Aaron Ochs should just shut up and stop targeting Velie and Dow as well – its unsettling when taking the big picture into consideration.


Both trolls, Ochs and Platek, would have been better off making a living at El Pollo Loco instead of electing to be agents of nefarious harassment.


It very unfortunate that Dow and his family have been subject to the anxiety, fear, loss and peace that comes with this type a circumstance. It’s hard to get over in one instance being a target and a compounded complex nightmare to overcome and manage when it involves your family and loved ones being targeted and manipulated.


33

Hard to believe that no one else has commented on this completely whacked story, but here goes: Why is this obviously dangerously insane person getting “a shorter sentence”? That is just about the only thing sicker than he is. Anyone making those kinds of threats should be put somewhere, away from the public, where he can never act on his impulses for the rest of his life. Don’t we, as a country, have our quota of nut cases doing grievous harm to innocents as it is? There are way too many people who would want to make sure he could get a gun if he felt like it. Get a grip, people. Whomever would let him loose on society needs to be voted out a.s.a.p.


17

Francesca? Your words, are the very same ones we on the right have been saying to you, this whole time.


Welcome to our world :)


4

This guy gives nuts a bad name.


12