William L. Upham, a 35-year-old former Marine and state prosecutor from Jacksonville, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with threatening the President of the United States, according to an announcement on July 16 by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Upham appeared in federal court in Jacksonville earlier that day and has been ordered detained.
According to the complaint, the United States Secret Service received reports regarding potential threats made by Upham against the President. Secret Service agents reviewed two videos posted by Upham on his social media accounts. In one video, Upham wore his military uniform and stated, “this is a call to arms,” calling for the overthrow of the Trump administration. He provided instructions on how to “overthrow” the President, recommending use of a semi-automatic rifle such as an AR-15 and instructing that “the enemy” should be killed with “two shots to the chest” and “one shot to the head,” which he said would result in a very high chance of death.
Agents observed a second video where Upham again wore his military uniform and made similar statements, including saying that President Trump is “the enemy” who “must be killed.” The Secret Service later received communication sent by Upham to a third party stating he made these videos to “declare war” against President Trump and would “kill President Trump at the time that God chooses.” The agency also learned that Upham had access to firearms and had recently made concerning statements to law enforcement as recently as July 2026.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge alleging violation of federal law; every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by both the United States Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney is prosecuting.