Man accused of writing Trump assassination letters was framed, officials say

BBC News

2 days ago

A man accused of writing letters threatening to assassinate US President Donald Trump was framed, investigators say.Ramon Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old undocumented immigrant, was arrested last week after officials alleged he threatened to shoot Trump. He faces a deportation hearing Wednesday.In a court filing, prosecutors now claim the letters were written by Demetric Deshawn Scott, who is set to face trial on allegations he assaulted and robbed Mr Morales-Reyes.Mr Scott has been charged with witness intimidation, identity theft and breach of bail. He told investigators he wrote the letters to prevent Mr Morales-Reyes from testifying in the robbery case, court documents say.
In an interview after his arrest on 22 May, Mr Morales-Reyes told investigators he suspected Mr Scott wanted to "get him in trouble" after he accused him of robbery.Mr Morales-Reyes doesn't speak fluent English, and his handwriting is "completely different" from the writing on the letters, according to the court filing. Police in Milwaukee - Wisconsin's most populous city - then interviewed Mr Scott, who "admitted that he wrote everything on the letters and envelopes himself"."When asked what was going through his head at the time of writing the letters, the defendant stated 'Freedom,'" the filing said. According to the filing, he admitted his intention was not to threaten Trump but prevent Mr Morales-Reyes from testifying at his trial, which is scheduled for July.Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a press release announcing Mr Morales-Reyes's arrest over a letter sent to an immigration field officer, including a copy of it.In the letter, the author said he would "shoot your precious president in his [sic] head" at a Trump rally before fleeing back to his native country of Mexico.Versions of the letter were also sent to the Wisconsin attorney general's office and Milwaukee police chief.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a picture of Mr Morales-Reyes's face and the letter on social media, writing: "This illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars."When White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about Noem's post and whether it would be corrected or removed, she referred questions to Homeland Security.Noem's post about Mr Morales-Reyes remains on X.Although Mr Morales-Reyes is no longer accused of making the threats, a DHS statement said Mr Morales-Reyes would remain in custody."Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record," it said.Mr Morales-Reyes will face a deportation hearing in Chicago Immigration Court on Wednesday morning, according to his lawyer Cain Oulahan.In a statement to BBC News, the lawyer said that his client and his family are "relieved that it is now clear who the actual writer of the threatening letters is", but added that they "have been traumautized by these events and hope to be reunited soon". "We also believe that the Department of Homeland Security should issue a public statement acknowledging their error and calling for a stop to any threats against him and his family," the statement said.Mr Oulahan added that Mr Morales-Reyes applied for a U visa - a type of visa given to the victims of crimes who cooperate with law enforcement - this past March. But the backlog on approving U visas is 7-8 years, "thus, we will be exploring other avenues of relief to try to keep him here."Demetric Deshawn Scott is set to face trial in July over the robbery case involving Mr Morales-Reyes.Mr Scott is charged with multiple felonies, including armed robbery, aggravated battery and use of a dangerous weapon.Local news outlet Milwaukee Journal Sentinel described the alleged encounter, saying that a man captured on a doorbell camera, suspected to be Mr Scott, assaulted Mr Morales-Reyes with a corkscrew while attempting to steal his bicycle.