Wisconsin Man Charged with Witness Intimidation by Threatening President Trump

A Wisconsin man, Demetric D. Scott, is facing serious charges for allegedly forging a letter that threatened the life of President Donald Trump. This act was reportedly an attempt to have another man, who could testify against him in a criminal case, deported. The letter was sent to state and federal officials using the name and return address of Ramón Morales Reyes.

Scott is currently charged with felony witness intimidation, identity theft, and two counts of bail jumping. During his initial court appearance, a court commissioner set his cash bail at USD 30,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10. Scott's attorney, Alexander Kostal, declined to comment on the case when contacted.

Immigration Arrest and Investigation

On May 21, immigration agents arrested Morales Reyes after he dropped his child off at school in Milwaukee. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the arrest, claiming Morales Reyes had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would "self-deport" to Mexico. The White House shared this announcement on social media, including an image of the letter and a photo of Morales Reyes.

However, the investigation revealed inconsistencies. Morales Reyes, who does not speak English fluently, provided a handwriting sample that differed from the letter's handwriting. Court documents list Morales Reyes as a victim in Scott's case. Scott is currently awaiting trial in Milwaukee County Jail on charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery.

Details of the Alleged Robbery

The robbery incident occurred in September 2023 when Scott allegedly knocked a man identified as R.M. off his bicycle in Milwaukee. He reportedly cut R.M. with a box cutter before riding off on the bicycle. R.M. received treatment for a minor laceration that did not require stitches. Police arrested Scott hours after the alleged crime.

According to court documents, Scott admitted to police that he wrote the threatening letters. Law enforcement officers also listened to several calls Scott made from jail discussing plans to have someone picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to dismiss his trial.

Morales Reyes' Legal Situation

Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee and lives with his wife and three children. He had applied for a U visa, which is available for individuals in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes. His attorney, Kime Abduli, expressed relief that Morales Reyes was being cleared of any involvement in the letter writing.

Morales Reyes' deportation defense lawyer, Cain Oulahan, confirmed his Mexican origin and stated that their main focus is securing his release from custody. They are exploring other options to keep him with his family while his U visa application remains backlogged for years.

"While he has a U visa pending, those are unfortunately backlogged for years, so we will be looking at other options to keep him here with his family, which includes his three US citizen children," Oulahan wrote.

With inputs from PTI