Florida Attorney Arrested in Mississippi After Allegedly Threatening to Kill ICE Agents While Trying to Buy a Firearm

Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested a Florida-licensed attorney living in Mississippi after she allegedly threatened to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while attempting to purchase a firearm and pepper spray at a Long Beach gun store.

Lisa C. White, 70, of Diamondhead, was taken into custody in Long Beach on September 24 following an investigation that began the previous day. White is a member of the Florida Bar who was admitted in October 1995 and has previously practiced in Broward County. Florida Bar records list her in good standing with no disciplinary history.

According to a federal criminal complaint filed by HSI Special Agent John Griggs, White entered High Caliber Guns in Long Beach around 11:30 a.m. on September 23 and told employees, “I need a gun.” She identified herself as a protester and activist and said she wanted a firearm and pepper spray for protection at a demonstration because she believed “ICE agents are becoming crazy and wild.” The complaint states she also told an employee she wanted to buy a gun to kill ICE agents.

During the interaction, White gestured toward her torso and asked whether certain firearms could penetrate an agent’s body armor. She indicated that if they could not, she would aim for the head, shoulder, arm or leg, the complaint says. An employee warned her that pointing a gun at law enforcement would likely result in her being killed. White responded, “If I have to die, I have to die,” according to the complaint. The employee declined to complete the sale, suggested she return in a couple of days, and recommended pepper spray and training at a shooting range instead. White left empty-handed after looking at high-powered pistols. She later returned to the store, but the owner denied the transaction and reported the encounter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF notified HSI, which interviewed employees and located White.

HSI Gulfport Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Reidell said the agency takes any threat against federal law enforcement officers with the utmost seriousness. “The safety of our personnel is paramount,” Reidell stated. He credited the gun store employees’ vigilance for allowing agents to intervene quickly. In a public statement, HSI said threats against federal law enforcement will not be tolerated and that the agency will continue investigating cases involving officers who protect the homeland. ICE noted a massive increase in violence and threats against federal law enforcement, including more than a 1,600 percent increase in assaults against ICE officers, a 3,300 percent increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000 percent increase in death threats.

White is being held without bond as authorities prepare federal criminal charges for influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threat. The offense can carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, not more than three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. A trial date has been set for November 16, according to local reporting. The investigation remains ongoing.