Ohioan Charged With Threatening President-elect Donald Trump

FAIRVIEW PARK, OH - The 25-year-old man who threatened to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump has now been officially indicted by a federal grand jury. Zachary Benson, of Fairview Park, faces one charge of making threats against the president-elect.

Benson made his threat via Twitter in the early morning after Election Night, just before Trump was declared the next president. He has since deleted his Twitter account, but the Secret Service was able to capture the Tweet prior to deletion.

"My life goal is to assassinate Trump. Don't care if I serve infinite sentences. That man deserves to decease [sic] existing," Benson wrote on Twitter.

He also threatened voters at large in another Tweet, writing: “Diplomacy. F---ing fools. I hate you all. I want to bomb every one of your voting booths and your general areas.”

He was taken into custody shortly after the Tweets were sent. According to an affidavit, once in custody, he told Secret Service that he was frustrated by Trump's policies, but had no intention of actually following through on his threats.

Benson also admitted to drinking prior to sending the Tweets, CBS reports.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karrie D. Howard. Benson faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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