News : Belle Plaine man charged with Harassment of County Officials

32-year-old William Robert Atkinson of Belle Plaine faces several charges following threats made toward Benton County courthouse official and law enforcement.  He was charged with three counts, from incidents that happened July 28 and 31 and August 1, 2025. The charges are a 1st Degree Aggravated Misdemeanor. 

The Benton County Sheriff's Office investigated the case from July 28 through August 14, looking into multiple harassment incidents connected to those threats. Following the investigation, arrest warrants were issued and Atkinson was arrested on August 22 by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

Atkinson was charged with a total of five counts of first-degree harassment, along with additional charges tied to previous cases, including threats of terrorism, false imprisonment, assault on law enforcement, and marijuana possession and was held at the Benton County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond.

Both the Iowa State Patrol and Cedar Rapids Police assisted with the case, which remains under investigation.