Man accused of framing other man for deportation by writing letters threatening Trump's life
MILWAUKEE: A Wisconsin man is facing charges accusing him of forging a letter threatening President Donald Trump's life in an effort to get another man deported.
Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint filed Monday that Demetric D.
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Scott was behind a letter sent to state and federal officials with the return address and name of Ramón Morales Reyes.
Scott was charged Monday with felony witness intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail jumping. His attorney, Robert Hampton III, didn't immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Immigration agents arrested Morales Reyes, 54, on May 21 after he dropped his child off at school in Milwaukee.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the arrest, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would "self-deport" to Mexico. The announcement, which also was posted by the White House on its social media accounts, contained an image of the letter as well as a photo of Morales Reyes.
But the claim started to unravel as investigators talked to Morales Reyes, who doesn't speak English fluently, and obtained a handwriting sample from him that was different than the handwriting in the letters, according to court documents.
Morales Reyes is listed as a victim in the case involving Scott, who is awaiting trial in Milwaukee County Jail on armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. The trial is scheduled for July.
Law enforcement officers listened to several calls Scott made from the jail in which he talked about letters that needed to be mailed and a plan to get someone picked up by ICE so Scott's trial could get dismissed, according to the criminal complaint.
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He also admitted to police that he wrote the letters, documents said.
Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, where he lives with his wife and three children. He had recently applied for a U visa, which is for people in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes, said attorney Kime Abduli, who filed that application.
Abduli told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday that she was glad Morales Reyes was being cleared of any involvement in the letter writing.
His deportation defence lawyer, Cain Oulahan, wrote in an email Monday night that the main focus now is to secure Morales Reyes' release from custody and the next step will be to pursue any relief he may qualify for in immigration court.
"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.
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Hindustan Times
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What to know about Ramón Morales Reyes, a Wisconsin man falsely accused of threatening Trump's life
CHICAGO — A man falsely accused of threatening President Donald Trump's life faces deportation even as Wisconsin authorities say the Mexican immigrant was framed and is a victim of a violent 2023 attack. Ramón Morales Reyes was thrust into the national spotlight last week when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused him of writing letters threatening Trump. Agency officials quietly acknowledged Wednesday that Morales Reyes is no longer a suspect in that threat, a day after another man was charged in Wisconsin for forging the letters. But Trump administration social media posts blasting Morales Reyes as a potential presidential assassin remained online. Attorneys for Morales Reyes say he isn't a danger to the public, and activists believe he's a scapegoat in an increasing hostile environment for immigrants. Meanwhile, federal authorities say they're pushing ahead with deportation in part because the 54-year-old doesn't have legal permission to live in the country. Here are things to know about the case: Morales Reyes immigrated from Mexico in the 1980s, according to his attorney. A married man with three U.S. citizen children, he worked as a dishwasher in Milwaukee. Federal immigration agents took him into custody last month after he dropped his daughter at school. Days later Noem blasted his photo on social media, along with an excerpt of a letter he purportedly wrote in English calling for Trump to be shot at a rally. The arrest was held up by the White House and Trump supporters as a success in the administration's aggressive crackdown on immigration. But the details quickly unraveled, including the fact that Morales Reyes doesn't speak English well and can't write in the language. On Tuesday, authorities in Wisconsin charged Demetric D. Scott of forging the letter in an effort to blame Morales Reyes, a potential witness against him in a 2023 attack. Scott is accused of knocking Morales Reyes off his bicycle, injuring him with a box cutter and then taking the bike, according to court records. Court documents said law enforcement officials listened to calls Scott made about the letters and a plot to have someone picked up by immigration agents, all aiming to have the armed robbery and aggravated battery charges dismissed. He also admitted to police that he wrote the letters, documents said. Scott, who is in the Milwaukee County Jail, is awaiting a July trial. He's due in court on Tuesday on the newer charges, including felony witness intimidation and identity theft. A message left Tuesday for the state public defender's office wasn't immediately returned. Scott's attorneys have previously declined comment. Earlier this year, Morales Reyes applied for a U visa, which is for people in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes. The application was pending, according to his attorneys. Morales Reyes has been detained at Dodge Detention Center in Juneau, which is about 70 miles north of Milwaukee. Homeland Security officials have not publicly corrected the information on the presidential threat. Instead they've doubled down on pursuing an immigration case against him. They allege Morales Reyes entered the country illegally at least nine times between 1998 and 2005 and that he has a criminal background. 'This criminal illegal alien is no longer under investigation for threats against the President, but will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,' DHS said in a statement Wednesday. Morales Reyes is accused of two incidents in 1996, according to his attorneys. In one he was arrested for damaging property in a hit-and-run but not charged. In another he was ticketed for disorderly conduct and criminal damage after a dispute with his wife. No one was injured, according to his attorney. Attorneys for Morales Reyes said the information on the threat should be corrected quickly as their client and his family are facing harassment and threats. 'This administration has jumped quickly to make announcements that they think will play well to their narrative of immigrants being dangerous,' said attorney Cain Oulahan. Immigrant rights advocates have rallied around Morales Reyes, including a group who stood outside a downtown Chicago immigration court Wednesday ahead of a brief hearing in the deportation case. Several held a large banner that read, 'Stop Scapegoating Immigrants.' Morales Reyes, wearing a green jail jumpsuit, appeared via livestream. He spoke through a Spanish interpreter, saying he understood the case. Oulahan told the judge that he was hoping for a quick resolution, considering the public accusations made against Morales Reyes. He's seeking for Morales Reyes to be released on bond. A government attorney told the judge she didn't have any information about the threat accusation. Immigration Judge Carla Espinoza said more time was needed to review documents. She set another hearing for June 10. The situation has been difficult for Morales Reyes and his relatives. 'He's a family man. This has been extremely stressful on him,' said Oulahan. 'He's very worried."
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