A Los Angeles resident and former podcaster, Benjamin Azariah Southworth, was arrested on a three-count federal indictment accusing him of threatening to kill President Donald Trump and of cyberstalking and harassing the President’s personal lawyer and that lawyer’s family.
Federal authorities arrested Benjamin Azariah Southworth, 40, a Westlake neighborhood resident and one-time podcaster, after a grand jury returned a three-count indictment. The charges include threats against the President, cyberstalking, and interstate telephonic harassment tied to targeted attacks on the lawyer and members of that lawyer’s family.
Southworth was taken into custody this morning and is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. The case moved quickly, reflecting the serious nature of the allegations and the agencies involved in the investigation.
Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke bluntly about the prosecution’s posture and the danger posed by violent online rhetoric. “As threats against President Trump’s life escalate, the Department of Justice will respond with the full force of the law,” he said. “We will hold perpetrators of violent threats accountable, and anyone who makes these threats online will not be allowed to hide behind their screens.”
Federal prosecutors charge Southworth with one count of threats against the President, one count of cyberstalking, and one count of harassing telephone calls in interstate communications. First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli stressed the legal consequences: “There is zero tolerance for political violence, especially for threats directed at the President,” said Essayli. “Threatening an elected official with violence is a serious offense, and you will be arrested and charged as Mr. Southworth found out this morning.”
The indictment alleges that, from January 2026 to May 2026, Southworth used multiple online platforms to target the President and his supporters. Investigators say he posted and promoted abusive content across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and a website, and that those accounts were used to encourage harassment and to threaten violence against the President.
Armando Marquez, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office, emphasized protective priorities and interagency cooperation. “The U.S. Secret Service has zero tolerance for threats against the President of the United States,” he said. “The safety and security of those we protect is our highest priority, and we are committed to ensuring that anyone who threatens that – whether online or otherwise – will face justice. We are grateful for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their partnership and thorough work in this case.”
FBI leadership framed the conduct as criminal, not political speech, and pointed to the danger of online threats escalating into real-world harm. “Cyberstalking and threats of murder are not considered mere political rhetoric under the law, but are serious criminal offenses that lead to prosecution, as today’s arrest highlights,” said Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI, working with our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will ensure that threats and harassment against the President and others are addressed before threats turn to violence.”
According to the indictment, on April 7, 2026, Southworth posted a video to his Instagram account that included explicit death threats directed at the President. Those statements included, “I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump” and “This government is illegitimate and out of control. It’s time for course correction. Kill Donald Trump.”
Three months earlier, prosecutors say Southworth published a TikTok post that named and pictured a Victim 1, identified as the President’s personal lawyer, and included the lawyer’s home address. The post also used the phrase “No peace for traitors,” according to the charging documents, and paired identifying images of the attorney and the attorney’s residence.
Investigators further allege that from January through May 2026 Southworth left a string of abusive online messages and voicemail threats targeted at Victim 2, who is the son of Victim 1, and made harassing telephone calls to Victim 3, who is the wife of Victim 1. Those actions are part of the cyberstalking and interstate harassment counts in the indictment.
The indictment notes that charges are accusations and that every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If convicted, Southworth faces a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison for threatening the President, up to five years for the cyberstalking count, and up to two years for telephonic harassment, which prosecutors laid out in their filing.
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The United States Secret Service and the FBI are handling the investigative work, and Assistant United States Attorney William Kanellis of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. The rapid coordination among law enforcement agencies reflects a priority on confronting direct threats to public officials and protecting affected families.
