A Milwaukee man who tried to blow up a criminal case by framing a witness with forged death threats against former President Donald Trump is headed to prison for more than a decade. On Friday in Madison, a judge sentenced 52-year-old Demetric DeShawn Scott to 16½ years after his January convictions on multiple counts. The case drew national attention after immigration authorities arrested the alleged victim, a Milwaukee resident, based on those fake letters.
Sentence and counts
As reported by The Associated Press, Judge Kristy Yang handed Scott a 16½-year term that combined separate sentences: 1½ years for identity theft, five years for witness intimidation and 10 years for reckless endangerment, with 882 days credited for bail jumping. Those penalties reflect convictions returned by a Milwaukee County jury in January and a sentencing hearing held in Madison on Friday.
Attack and trial
According to Wisconsin Watch, the case traces back to September 2023, when prosecutors say Scott approached Ramón Morales Reyes in Milwaukee, kicked him off a bicycle, stabbed him with a box cutter and rode away on the stolen bike. Scott was acquitted of robbery and battery but convicted on the reckless endangerment charge tied to that attack. Court records show he had also been out on bail in an unrelated burglary case when the incident occurred.
Forged letters and DHS response
Prosecutors say that while jailed, Scott mailed or arranged multiple handwritten letters, posing as Morales Reyes and threatening to kill Trump at a rally. Those letters prompted immigration agents to take Morales Reyes into custody in May. The Washington Post reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted Morales Reyes’ photo and an excerpt of one of the letters online, calling him an “illegal alien” who had threatened to assassinate the president.
Investigation and jail calls
Investigators later determined Morales Reyes could not have written the notes. Authorities said he does not speak or write English fluently and the handwriting did not match his. They also said recorded jail calls captured Scott discussing a plan to have ICE pick someone up to derail his trial. Scott admitted to police that he wrote the letters, according to The Associated Press.
Courtroom and representation
Scott represented himself at trial and maintained his innocence at sentencing, telling television reporters he had acted because Morales Reyes “was trying to get a visa and get, become a citizen,” a remark carried in local coverage. CBS News notes he was led from the courtroom under sheriff’s escort after the judge imposed the sentence.
What’s next for the alleged victim
Morales Reyes, who lawyers say moved to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1980s, remains in ICE custody while facing deportation even though prosecutors concluded he was framed. His attorneys say he was released on bond in June and has applied for a U-visa. As Wisconsin Watch reported, his lawyers plan to seek an order cancelling his deportation, and his deportation defense attorney has warned the U-visa process can take years.
