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Background: Supporters arrive before then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File). Inset: Cody Smith (West Virginia State Police).
A man from West Virginia is facing accusations of issuing death threats against both supporters of former President Donald Trump and agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to records from the Harrison County jail examined by Law&Crime, 20-year-old Cody Smith has been charged with making terroristic threats. Authorities detained him on Thursday.
The investigation was launched on January 19 when the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office alerted the West Virginia State Police about threatening communications. Officials report that Smith had uploaded videos online expressing his intent to inflict harm on others.
In these videos, Smith allegedly contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and declared his plans to attack and kill ICE agents, as reported by Clarksburg’s NBC and ABC affiliate, WBOY. Additionally, CBS affiliate WDTV noted that he allegedly threatened the person who answered his phone call.
Further investigation into Smith’s online activity reportedly revealed more alarming statements. His social media posts allegedly extended beyond threats to law enforcement, expressing a desire to “murder Trump supporters and war supporters or service members willing to bootlick,” and even targeting the former president himself.
The suspect was arrested and booked into the North Central Regional Jail in Greenwood, with his bond set at $75,000. He pleaded not guilty to the charge against him, according to media organization WVNews. By state law, if he is found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to three years behind bars.
Harrison County is located in northern West Virginia, not far from the state’s border with Pennsylvania.