PLANT CITY, Fla. – A Plant City man is facing charges after allegedly posting racially motivated threats of violence online.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) received a tip from the FBI National Threat Operation Section (NTOS) on February 28th, 2025, regarding an individual making disturbing comments on YouTube.
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The individual, later identified as 28-year-old William Bender III, posted threats targeting black people, immigrants, law enforcement, and federal agents. Some of the comments included “Kill all immigrants” and “It’s war time. Send these monkeys to hell.”
Detectives investigated the threats and determined that Bender was behind the YouTube account. Bender admitted to making the racially motivated threats in an attempt to provoke angry responses.
He was arrested and charged with one count of Written or Electronic Threat to Conduct a Mass Shooting or Act of Terrorism.
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“We will not tolerate comments made to intimidate, threaten, or cause fear within our community,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “If you think you can hide behind a keyboard in Hillsborough County, think again. We are committed to investigating and holding individuals accountable for making online threats.”
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
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