The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday that it had charged William Robert Braddock III, a Florida man, for allegedly threatening to kill one of his opponents in the 2022 Republican primary for a U.S. House seat, which Representative Anna Paulina Luna later won.
According to the indictment unsealed in federal court, Braddock, 41, of St. Petersburg, Florida, allegedly made death threats against an unnamed victim on June 8, 2021.
As the Tampa Free Press reported at the time of a related civil case, Braddock had made threats against Luna.
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The indictment details that Braddock allegedly threatened to use a “Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” to make his opponent “disappear.” Shortly after these alleged threats, Braddock dropped out of the primary race and fled the United States.
He was later located living in the Philippines, according to court documents.
Recently deported, Braddock made his initial court appearance on Thursday in Los Angeles. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
This indictment comes as the Justice Department intensifies its efforts to address threats against political figures and election workers ahead of the 2024 presidential and congressional elections.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is investigating the case with support from the St. Petersburg Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Manila, and U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance. The investigation also benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation provided by the Philippine Department of Justice and Philippine Bureau of Immigration.
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