JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 36-year-old Jacksonville Marine veteran and former state prosecutor facing a federal indictment pleaded not guilty Thursday to threatening to kill President Donald Trump in social media videos and a message.
The indictment alleges that between July 13 and July 15, William Lintag Upham posted videos in which he wore a military uniform, called the postings a “call to arms” and urged an overthrow of the administration.
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Upham pleaded not guilty to the charge of threatening to kill the president during a 5-minute hearing in federal court on Thursday.
His trial is set for Oct. 5, and the federal offense carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, if he’s convicted.
According to the indictment, in one video, Upham described a method of shooting that included “two shots to the chest and one shot to the head.”
In a second video, prosecutors say, Upham called the president the “Antichrist” and a “false Messiah” and said he “must be killed.”
The indictment also says Upham sent an email to a third party stating he “will kill President Trump at the time that God chooses, not when I choose,” with the intent to communicate a true threat and with recklessness as to whether others would view the statement as a real threat of violence.
Upham was arrested July 16 and has been ordered detained, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
The U.S. Secret Service received reports about the posts and reviewed the videos, the criminal complaint and the indictment said. Investigators also allege Upham had access to firearms and made concerning statements to law enforcement as recently as July.
The Marine Corps said in a social media post that it was aware of Upham’s statements and noted he had been medically discharged on May 30, 2025. The service called the comments “disturbing” and said they violated the oath Upham had sworn.