TAMPA, FLORIDA- James Alexander, 26, from Plant City, was sentenced to 37-months in federal prison for making online threats to harm two officers from the Plant City Police Department. Alexander had pleaded guilty on June 17, 2020.
According to court documents, beginning in October 2017, Alexander posted threats directed at law enforcement on various Facebook pages online. Between May and June 2018, Alexander sent direct threats to one Plant City Police officer threatening to harm to him.
Alexander also sent direct messages to a family member of this officer, threatening to harm the officer. As a result of these threats, the officer obtained a permanent injunction against Alexander and moved his family out of their home of nine years to another location that was kept confidential.
Following the entry of the permanent injunction, Alexander began targeting a second officer from the Plant City Police Department, sending him direct messages on Facebook, saying, in part: “You are going to die this year.” As a result, this officer feared for his safety and that of his family, compelling him to frequently change his routine and routes to various locations, for fear of being followed.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Plant City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.