Latest news with #WisconsinAttorneyGeneral'sOffice
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Milwaukee man accused of framing illegal immigrant in Trump assassination threat, officials say
A man in Milwaukee allegedly forged a letter threatening President Donald Trump's life to get another man deported and prevent him from testifying in a criminal trial. Demetric D. Scott is accused of posing as Ramón Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old illegal immigrant, when writing a letter threatening to assassinate Trump. Scott is facing multiple charges, including witness intimidation. Morales-Reyes is an illegal immigrant who has a criminal record that includes arrests for felony hit-and-run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with a "domestic abuse modifier," according to the Department of Homeland Security. Ice Files Detainers Against 2 Illegal Aliens, Including 1 Facing Attempted Murder Charges For Shooting Spree On May 21, the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office, the Milwaukee Police Chief and Milwaukee ICE received handwritten notes threatening to kill Trump and blow up the White House, according to the criminal complaint. "We are tired of this president messing with us Mexicans – We have done more for this country than you white people – you have been deporting my family and I think it is time Donald J. Trump get what he has coming to him," the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, stated. Read On The Fox News App In the letter, initially believed to be written by Morales-Reyes, the Mexican national said he would "self deport" after killing Trump. The letters were not identical, but all the envelopes had return addresses written in blue ink bearing Morales-Reyes' information. However, according to detectives, Morales-Reyes cannot read, speak or write English fluently. The complaint also says Morales-Reyes told detectives "the only person who would want to get him in trouble was the person who had robbed him and who law enforcement knows to be the defendant," Scott. Operation Tidal Wave: Ice, Florida Law Enforcement Arrest Over 1,100 In Record-breaking Crackdown On May 30, while executing a search warrant on Scott's jail cell, investigators recovered a blue pen. A note stating that Scott needed the address of the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office was also found, along with an envelope containing the address and phone number of Milwaukee ICE allegedly located under Scott's bed. "I'm just glad that they have identified who it was or have a better sense of who it was and that Ramon is being cleared of any involvement in this," Morales-Reyes' attorney, Kime Abduli, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. According to the criminal complaint, after learning that Morales-Reyes had been arrested and might be deported because of the letters, Scott said in a phone call that Morales-Reyes "got what he deserved." "The investigation into the threat is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record. He will remain in custody," a senior DHS official told Fox News Digital. Morales-Reyes is still being held at Dodge County Jail and faces possible deportation. According to Fox 6, a local Fox News affiliate, Morales-Reyes is scheduled to appear in court June 4. Fox News' Bill Melugin and Cameron Arcand contributed to this article source: Milwaukee man accused of framing illegal immigrant in Trump assassination threat, officials say
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin man forged threats against Trump to try to get witness against him deported, officials say
A Wisconsin man has been charged with forging letters seeking to frame and deport another man who was a potential witness against him in a robbery case. Demetric D. Scott, 52, allegedly sent letters claiming to be from Ramón Morales Reyes that threatened to kill Donald Trump and bashed immigration policies to state and federal officials, according to Wisconsin prosecutors. He was charged in a Milwaukee court on Monday with felony witness intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail jumping. The letters allegedly sent by Scott in Morales Reyes' name were received on May 21 by the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office, the Milwaukee Police Chief and Milwaukee Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office. The letters were handwritten and all about 'immigration policy and threatening to kill ICE agents of Donald Trump,' according to the criminal complaint. Morales Reyes, 54, was then arrested on May 22 because his name was on the return address of those letters, the complaint said. The Department of Homeland Security had posted about his arrest in May, with Secretary Kristi Noem saying, 'Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars.' The news release included a photo of Morales Reyes and a photo of the handwritten letter that threatened to shoot Trump at one of his "big" rallies. However, things didn't add up — the investigating detective found that Morales Reyes doesn't read write or speak English fluently and needed translation assistance. A writing sample also showed Morales Reyes' handwriting was different from the one used in the letters, authorities said. Law enforcement asked if Morales Reyes knew anyone who would want to get him in trouble. Morales Reyes said only the person 'who had robbed him' — Demetric Scott, the complaint said. Morales Reyes told the detective he knew Scott was in jail on an armed robbery charge. Court records show Scott is awaiting trial in Milwaukee County on armed robbery and aggravated battery charges from September 2023. Following that interview, law enforcement listened to several of Scott's jail calls and found that, since April 27, he had made several phone calls about mailing out letters, the complaint said. In one call, on May 16, Scott said that 'this dude is a goddamn illegal immigrant and they just need to pick his ass up. I'm dead serious cause I got jury trial on July 15th.' Later in that call he said: 'The judge will agree cause 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.' On May 30, a Milwaukee police detective conducted an interview with Scott said he admitted to writing the letters and addressing the envelopes himself, authorities said, adding that he said he wrote them seeing 'freedom.' He admitted his intention wasn't to go after Trump, but to prevent Morales Reyes from testifying at his trial, authorities said. A search warrant was executed on May 30 at Scott's jail cell and a blue pen was found — the letters were written with blue ink — along with pink paper with a note reminding himself he needs the attorney general's office address, as well as an envelope. An attorney for Scott, Robert Hampton III, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new charges. Kime Abduli, an attorney for Morales Reyes, told NBC News that Morales Reyes was a victim of armed robbery of aggravated battery, and that Scott is the defendant in the case, which is set for trial July 14. 'It is our understanding that Mr. Scott targeted (Mr. Morales Reyes) because of his immigration status with the express intent of having him removed from the United States so that (Mr. Morales Reyes) could not testify against him,' Abduli said. The attorney said Morales Reyes remains in ICE custody and is in removal proceedings at this time, which does not mean a person will be automatically deported. A senior Department of Homeland Security official told NBC News that Morales Reyes will remain in custody. 'The investigation into the threat is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record,' the official said. The DHS news release from May said that Morales Reyes had "entered the U.S. illegally at least nine times between 1998-2005" and he had a criminal record with arrests for felony hit and run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier. The release said he'll remain in ICE custody at Dodge County Jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, pending removal proceedings. Abduli told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Morales Reyes is in the process of applying for a U-visa, which allows undocumented victims and witnesses of certain crimes to stay in the U.S. for up to four years if they help in the investigation. He had applied as a victim and witness of the robbery Scott is accused of carrying out. This article was originally published on
NBC News
7 days ago
- General
- NBC News
Wisconsin man forged threats against Trump to try and get witness against him deported, officials say
A Wisconsin man has been charged with forging letters seeking to frame and deport another man who was a potential witness against him in a criminal robbery case. Demetric D. Scott, 52, allegedly sent letters claiming to be from Ramón Morales Reyes that threatened to kill Donald Trump and bashed immigration policies to state and federal officials, according to Wisconsin prosecutors. He was charged in a Milwaukee court on Monday with felony witness intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail jumping. The letters allegedly sent by Scott in Morales Reyes' name were received on May 21 by the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office, the Milwaukee Police Chief and Milwaukee Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office. The letters were handwritten and all about 'immigration policy and threatening to kill ICE agents of Donald Trump,' according to the criminal complaint. Morales Reyes, 54, was then arrested on May 22 because his name was on the return address of those letters, the complaint said. The Department of Homeland Security had posted about his arrest in May, with Secretary Kristi Noem saying, 'Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars.' The news release included a photo of Morales Reyes and a photo of the handwritten letter that threatened to shoot Trump at one of his big rallies. However, things didn't add up — the investigating detective found Morales Reyes does didn't read write or speak fluently in English and needed translation assistance. A writing sample also showed Morales Reyes' handwriting was different from the letters. Law enforcement asked if Morales Reyes knew anyone who would want to get him in trouble. Morales Reyes said the only person was the person 'who had robbed him' — Demetric Scott, the complaint said. Morales Reyes told the detective he knew Scott was in jail on an armed robbery charge. Court records show Scott is awaiting trial in Milwaukee County on armed robbery and aggravated battery charges from September 2023. Following that interview, law enforcement listened to several of Scott's jail calls and found that, since April 27, he made several phone calls about mailing out letters, the complaint said. In one call on May 16, Scott said 'this dude is a goddamn illegal immigrant and they just need to pick his ass up. I'm dead serious cause I got jury trial on July 15th.' Later in that call he said: 'The judge will agree cause 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.' On May 30, a Milwaukee police detective conducted an interview with Scott in which he admitted to writing the letters and envelopes himself. He said he wrote them seeing 'freedom.' He admitted his intention wasn't to go after Trump, but to prevent Morales Reyes from testifying at his trial. A search warrant was executed on May 30 at Scott's jail cell and found a blue pen — the letters were written with blue ink — and a pink paper with a note reminding himself he needs the attorney general's office address, as well as an envelope. An attorney for Scott, Robert Hampton III, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new charges. Kime Abduli, an attorney for Morales Reyes, told NBC News that Morales Reyes was a victim of armed robbery of aggravated battery, and that Scott is the defendant in the case. That case is set for trial July 14. 'It is our understanding that Mr. Scott targeted (Mr. Morales Reyes) because of his immigration status with the express intent of having him removed from the United States so that (Mr. Morales Reyes) could not testify against him,' Abduli said. The attorney said Morales Reyes remains in ICE custody and is in removal proceedings at this time, which does not mean a person will be automatically deported. A senior Department of Homeland Security official told NBC News said Morales Reyes will remain in custody. 'The investigation into the threat is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record,' the official said. The DHS news release from May said that Morales Reyes had "entered the U.S. illegally at least nine times between 1998-2005" and he had a criminal record with arrests for felony hit and run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier. The release said he'll remain in ICE custody at Dodge County Jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, pending removal proceedings. Abduli told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Morales Reyes is in the process of applying for a U-visa, which allows undocumented victims and witnesses of certain crimes to stay in the U.S. for up to four years if they help in the investigation. He had applied as a victim and witness of the robbery Scott's accused of carrying out.
