Sarasota CPA subject to misplaced threats over shark-dragging video

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - Most of us have seen it by now: The video of a shark being dragged behind a boat at high speeds is still causing outrage.

And now it’s led to death threats against a Sarasota businessman who has nothing to do with it -- at all. He played some of the voice mails for us Wednesday -- and they are frightening and horrible.

They're the kind of calls no one ever expects.

"Your son is a f****** piece of s***," one caller said.

Robert Wenzel has gotten one profanity-filled message after another. Nearly 40 have been left at his Sarasota accounting office.

"You piece of s***. I'm going to **** you by your ***** behind your own car," said another caller.

The calls started pouring in once video surfaced online of a shark being dragged by a boat at high speed. The video caused international outrage.The three men on the video are believed to be from the Palmetto area.

People on Facebook assumed Robert Wenzel was related to one of the men. The reality: He has a common name and he's not related to anyone in the video.

"It's by far the most disturbing incident or series of several days of discomfort, pain, fear, nightmarish feelings that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I never want to go through it again," he told FOX 13.

So much so, he didn't want his face shown. For 20 years this Robert Wenzel has worked as a CPA in Sarasota. He's lived a low-key life so the messages came as a terrible shock.

"I had nothing to do with this incident. I do not know the families, I don't know the families. I don't know anything out the incident other than what I saw on the television," he said.

Wenzel wants everyone to realize the dangers of posting misinformation on sites like Facebook. He said one post could very well ruin someone's life.

"Please be cognizant of the potential harm you may be causing, because it very well may be, and in this case, it was misinformation, false information. It's caused great discomfort to me," he said. 

Wenzel is working with law enforcement to put an end to the calls. The Facebook page with his information has since been taken down.