Man forged death threats to Trump to get immigrant deported

A Milwaukee man is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he attempted to manipulate the US immigration system by sending threatening letters falsely attributed to another man, in hopes of derailing his upcoming criminal trial.

Demetric Deshawn Scott, 52, has been charged with identity theft, bail jumping, and felony witness intimidation following an investigation into a series of handwritten letters sent to federal and state officials.

The letters, prosecutors say, threatened the life of President Donald Trump and were designed to appear as though 54-year-old Ramón Morales Reyes, a key witness in an unrelated case against Scott, wrote them.

Scott is currently awaiting trial for allegedly assaulting and robbing Morales Reyes in a 2023 incident. That trial is scheduled to begin July 14.

According to a criminal complaint filed this week, the threatening letters—mailed to agencies including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Milwaukee Police Department—were crafted to provoke a strong federal response, leading to the detention of Morales Reyes on May 22 by ICE officers.

One of the letters, reviewed by investigators, said, “We are tired of this president messing with us Mexicans — we have done more for this county than you white people — you have been deporting my family and I think it is time Donald Trump get what he has coming to him... I will self deport myself back to Mexico,” adding a graphic threat against Trump’s life.

Handwritten letter threatening President Donald Trump's life. (Credit: Department of Homeland Security/AP)

The alarming content led to swift public condemnation, including a statement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, who called Morales Reyes “an illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump.” He was held in ICE custody in Dodge County Jail, pending deportation proceedings.

However, the case unraveled when Morales Reyes, during an interview with Milwaukee police, told Detective Timothy Keller he did not speak or write fluent English. Investigators also reviewed letters actually written by Morales Reyes and found the handwriting did not match the threatening notes. Asked if someone might want to set him up, Morales Reyes named Scott.

Police then reviewed recorded jail calls made from Scott’s inmate account. In one call dated April 27, a caller using Scott’s ID mentioned having a “hell of a plan.” In another, the same person said, “If he gets picked up by ICE, there won’t be a Jury Trial so they will probably dismiss it that day.”

During a search of Scott’s jail cell, police found a blue pen and the mailing address of the Milwaukee ICE office. He reportedly admitted during a police interview last Friday that he wrote the letters but claimed his goal was not to carry out violence—it was to prevent Morales Reyes from testifying against him.

According to the complaint, Scott’s mother, Arnita Scott, confirmed that her son had sent her mail recently but said she was unaware of its contents.

The case has drawn strong criticism from local leaders. In a joint statement, all members of the Milwaukee Common Council condemned the premature public declaration from DHS that painted Morales Reyes as a threat, stating it “caused a man and his family to receive death threats and for him to be detained for something he did not do, while further fueling the anti-immigrant sentiment being pushed at the national level.”

Morales Reyes remains in federal custody but is now considered the victim of a false accusation. His attorney, Cain Oulahan, told the Associated Press (AP), “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.”

A U visa is intended for victims of serious crimes who cooperate with law enforcement. It offers a pathway to legal residency but is currently delayed by a significant application backlog.

The Department of Homeland Security has since walked back its earlier public claims, stating on Tuesday, “The investigation into the threat is ongoing.” DHS confirmed that Morales Reyes is undocumented and has a criminal record, and said he will remain in custody.