Federal and local law enforcement say a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, man attempted to manipulate the U.S. immigration system to derail a criminal trial by forging letters threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump.
According to investigators, the letters were written to appear as if they came from an illegal immigrant scheduled to testify against the man in an armed robbery case.
Demetric D. Scott, 52, was charged with felony witness intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail jumping.
Prosecutors allege Scott sent handwritten letters to multiple government agencies in May, posing as illegal immigrant Ramón Morales Reyes, to trigger Reyes’ deportation and prevent him from testifying in Scott’s upcoming July trial, NBC News reports.
The letters, which were sent to the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office, Milwaukee Police Chief and the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, included violent threats against Trump and immigration officials.
They were written in blue ink and focused heavily on immigration policy, according to the criminal complaint.
Authorities say Reyes was arrested on May 22 after the letters were traced to him through the return address.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem publicly praised ICE for apprehending the man alleged to have threatened to shoot Trump at a rally, sharing a photo of Reyes and the letter on social media, according to Just the News.
However, as the investigation progressed, law enforcement discovered that Reyes could not have written the letters.
Detectives found that Reyes does not read, write or speak English fluently and required assistance from a translator. A handwriting analysis confirmed the letters were not written by him.
When questioned, Reyes identified only one person who might have wanted to get him in trouble—Scott, who was already in jail awaiting trial for armed robbery and aggravated battery charges stemming from a 2023 incident, the outlet reports.
Investigators obtained recorded jail phone calls made by Scott starting in April.
In a call on May 16, Scott said, “This dude is a goddamn illegal immigrant and they just need to pick his ass up… if he gets picked up by ICE, there won’t be a jury trial so they will probably dismiss it that day. That’s my plan,” per NBC News.
On May 30, police interviewed Scott, who admitted to writing and mailing the letters. He reportedly told detectives his intention was not to harm Trump but to stop Reyes from testifying.
A search of his jail cell uncovered a blue pen, a note referencing the attorney general’s address and an envelope.
Morales Reyes remains in ICE custody and is undergoing removal proceedings.
According to his attorney, Kime Abduli, Reyes was the victim in Scott’s armed robbery case and Scott attempted to use Reyes’ immigration status to block the trial.
DHS confirmed that Reyes, who entered the U.S. illegally on multiple occasions between 1998 and 2005, has a criminal record including past arrests for felony hit-and-run and disorderly conduct. DHS officials stated the investigation is ongoing.
Reyes has a pending U visa application filed in March, which allows illegal immigrants who are victims and witnesses of crimes to remain in the U.S. if they cooperate with law enforcement.
His attorney, Cain W. Oulahan, stated that the family hopes for his release and is seeking a DHS correction regarding his prior arrest.
