Federal Charges Filed Against Florida Write-In Candidate William Upham for Alleged Threats Against Donald Trump

William Upham, a former U.S. Marine and Republican write-in candidate for Florida’s fifth congressional district, has been arrested and charged in federal court with threatening to kill former President Donald Trump, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Upham, 35, was taken into custody on Thursday following his appearance in federal court in Jacksonville, Florida. Federal prosecutors state that a conviction could result in a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

Attorney Gregory Kehoe confirmed the charges in a press release, noting that Upham, a former military service member and state prosecutor, appeared in federal court on Thursday morning and remains in custody.

The Secret Service initiated an investigation after receiving credible reports of potential threats made by Upham. Agents reviewed two videos Upham posted to his social media accounts as part of their inquiry.

In the first video, Upham, dressed in his military uniform, called for the overthrow of the Trump administration, stating, “This is a call to arms… To all of God’s children, you must overthrow the Trump administration on behalf of God.” The complaint alleges that Upham provided military tactics for targeting Trump and his supporters, specifying weapon usage and killing methods.

A second video featured similar content, with Upham asserting that Trump represented the “antichrist” as described in biblical texts. Federal documents indicate Upham claimed, “All of these antichrist descriptions describe President Trump,” and that he intended to “declare war” against the former president, vowing to “kill President Trump at the time that God chooses.”

Investigators also discovered Upham possessed access to firearms and had made alarming statements to law enforcement as recently as this month. Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao responded on social media, stating, “Unacceptable. William Upham is no longer a Marine and does not represent our values or ethos.”

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