77-Year-Old Florida Veteran Investigated For Sending an Official a Postcard Saying ‘You Lack Values’

Public records show top Florida officials are behind a recent threat investigation against a 77-year-old Army veteran. The reason for the investigation: A postcard addressed to the state’s treasurer that simply said, “You lack values.”

James O’Gara, who lives in Largo, Florida interviewed He was captured last September by detectives from the criminal division of the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) after mailing the postcard to Comptroller Blaise Ingoglia’s office. Police encounter led to incident accusations First Amendment retaliation and government bullying by the administration of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Records published by DFS Reason It sheds light on the internal decision to investigate O’Gara, his interview with detectives, and the public outcry that followed. An audio recording of detectives’ interview with O’Gara shows that they did not think there was anything wrong with his statement and quickly closed the investigation. After local and state media covered the incident, Ingoglia’s office received dozens of postcards from around the country with the same message: “You lack values.”

The investigation began on 15 September 2025, when Simon Blank, former director of the Criminal Investigations Division, sent via email deputy director of the department and lieutenant colonel. “The attachment was mailed to the CFO,” Blank wrote. “Can you have someone look at the name and do a threat assessment?”

He filtered through the chain of command. Lieutenant Colonel James Evangelina wrote on Sept. 29, 2025, to Darrell Wilson, former chief of the department’s Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives Investigations. “I would like a member of our team to schedule a meeting with the named individual to discuss potential ways to help,” Evangelina wrote. “Also, if possible, please verify the identity of the sender and assess the potential threat level associated with the information provided.”

Two detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division arrived at O’Gara’s home on October 1, 2025. After speaking briefly with O’Gara’s wife, the detectives introduced themselves to O’Gara and began by telling him he wasn’t in any trouble.

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“I believe you recently sent a letter to the chief financial officer of the Florida Department of Finance and Services,” one of the detectives said.

“A postcard,” O’Gara interrupted.

“Yes, look, you didn’t do anything wrong,” the detective said. “I understand that our country is in a very interesting position politically right now. Everything is polarized and stuff.”

O’Gara acknowledged that he had written the postcard and asked: If he had done nothing wrong, why were they talking to him?

“I have the right to voice my opinion and I will do so even more reciprocally because they sent you out,” O’Gara said.

“I completely support the First Amendment, 100%,” the detective said. “Things are politically polarized right now, if there’s anything that everybody doesn’t agree with, they make us control things, things like that.”

Detectives asked if there was any other message O’Gara was trying to or wanted to convey with his postcard.

“No,” O’Gara said. “Their value is terrible. That’s what I said.”

Detectives and O’Gara briefly spoke of their disappointment with Ingoglia’s condition. “DOGE” initiative It targets allegedly wasteful spending by county and local governments across the state.

O’Gara said he had sent 200 similar postcards to other politicians but had never had any problems before.

Detectives were courteous throughout the interview, comparing Army service records with O’Gara and repeating several times during the conversation that they saw no threat in his postcard.

“Yeah, like I said, they’re making us check some things,” one of the detectives said. “I looked at your postcard and it was like you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I’m angry they sent you here,” O’Gara said. “I know it’s not your fault. It’s totally inappropriate, totally inappropriate.”

The detectives thanked O’Gara for his service and left. Records show they also met with two neighbors to ask about his behavior.

Detectives, whose names were both redacted from records, found no credible threat to Ingoglia in their follow-up reports to their superiors.

“He expressed displeasure that the CFO sent law enforcement to his home because no one else came to see him,” one detective wrote. “He did not blame us (Law Enforcement) and knows we were just doing our job. As a result, he will be sending further correspondence to express his 1st amendment right. He has no intention of escalating actual threats and will continue to inform the CFO that this is wrong.”

After state and local media broke the story, Ingoglia denied seeing the postcard or ordering the investigation.

Ingoglia “I had no idea” in question “I didn’t see the postcard. I had no idea they were looking at the postcard and looking at the background. I had no idea they were visiting,” he told News 6 in an interview.

“I don’t know what triggered the investigation, but what I can tell you is that I did not order the investigation,” Ingoglia continued. “I understand that the job of law enforcement is to make sure we protect our elected officials.”

When News 6 asked Ingoglia if he believed the note posed a threat, Ingoglia initially denied knowing what the postcard said. When the reporter told Ingoglia this, he replied: “Yes, but I’m sure that’s not the only thing.”

Records released by DFS do not show any involvement by Ingoglia. Blanks’ initial email that triggered the investigation contained a message forwarded from an automated “no reply” email account managed by DFS. The attached message was not included in the published records.

Records show that Ingoglia’s office was flooded with dozens of postcards following media coverage; all of which contained variations of the phrase “you lack values.” Reason He did not count the exact number of postcards, but DFS released nearly 700 pages of documents. Many were shipped from Florida cities like Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, while some were postmarked from as far away as California, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

One Orlando resident wrote on his postcard: “Mr. Ingoglia wisely and pointedly ‘you lack values!’ I agree with Largo’s James O’Gara.” “You are a bully and a hypocrite.”

The documents also show that on October 1, 2025, O’Gara wrote another letter to Ingoglia’s office: “Your intimidation has failed! You have proven your lack of principles + your incompetence.”

A DFS spokesperson said in an emailed statement: Reason It was stated that O’Hara’s postcard was “taken a few days after the brutal and tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, at a time when law enforcement officials responsible for assessing potential threats to public officials were more vigilant.”

“The Department of Financial Services and the CFO have always respected the First Amendment rights of Floridians, and the Department has continued to regularly receive postcards from O’Garas and other constituents,” the statement continued. “The Department also updated its threat assessment processes within the Criminal Investigations Division.”

Blank and Wilson retired from the agency.

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