A Cincinnati man accused of taking a hammer to Vice President JD Vance's East Walnut Hills home in the middle of the night has pleaded guilty in federal court, agreeing to pay roughly $28,000 in restitution and to stay at least 350 yards away from any residence belonging to Vance or his family. William D. DeFoor, 26, entered his plea Tuesday, resolving a case that began with a January break-in at the vice president's Cincinnati property.
DeFoor agreed to plead guilty to two counts, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds and causing willful injury to U.S. property, in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping a third count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers, according to 91.7 WVXU. Defense counsel maintained that the factual record did not support allegations that DeFoor had physically resisted officers, the station reported. As part of the deal, DeFoor waived his right to a jury trial, per the Times of India.
What Happened That Night
Federal court documents describe Secret Service agents spotting DeFoor running along the property's fence around midnight on January 5, where he struck an unmarked law enforcement vehicle three times with a hammer before ignoring commands and smashing 14 panes out of three historic front windows, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Neither Vance nor his family were present at the property during the incident, the agency noted. As reported by WSYX, DeFoor rushed the home and damaged the government-owned security measures installed on its windows, which are valued at approximately $28,000.
Secret Service agents arrested DeFoor at the scene on January 5. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and his attorney has said his actions were not politically motivated.
A History of Mental Illness
DeFoor was placed under the legal guardianship of his mother in 2024 due to severe mental illness, following a 2023 trespassing arrest at a psychiatric emergency facility that was dismissed after a judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial, per NewsNation. He was also granted court-ordered treatment in lieu of conviction for a separate local business vandalism charge in 2024, the outlet reported.
Defense attorney Paul Laufman said DeFoor accepted the plea deal to take responsibility for his actions and has been receiving doctor-supervised psychiatric care and medication while in federal custody, according to the same WVXU report. Laufman noted that correctional mental health care differs from care available in public settings but confirmed DeFoor is currently under medical supervision.
The Cincinnati Property and Its Politics
Vance and his wife, Usha, purchased the 6,405-square-foot historic home on William Howard Taft Road for $1.4 million in 2018 following the success of his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, according to Business Insider. Built around 1900 on 2.3 acres, the house blends Mid-Century Gothic Revival and High Victorian Gothic architectural styles. Since taking the vice-presidential oath of office in January 2025, Vance and his family have primarily resided at Number One Observatory Circle in Washington, D.C., making the Cincinnati property a secondary home that was unoccupied during the break-in, per a WLWT report.
Business Insider also notes that the East Walnut Hills neighborhood surrounding the home leans heavily left politically, with voting data showing roughly 85% of area residents backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Defense attorneys have stressed that DeFoor's actions were driven by mental illness rather than political motives, not by the neighborhood's leanings or Vance's role.
Penalties and What Comes Next
Under federal law, each of the two counts DeFoor pleaded guilty to, causing willful injury to U.S. property under 18 U.S.C. § 1361 and engaging in physical violence on restricted government grounds, carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the Department of Justice. The dismissed third count of resisting or assaulting federal officers had carried a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said acts of violence against political leaders or government property will not be tolerated and will be vigorously prosecuted to ensure elected officials can perform their duties free from threats. The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Secret Service and Cincinnati Police, the Justice Department said.
DeFoor is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. It remains unresolved what final sentence U.S. District Judge Douglas Cole will impose or whether court-mandated psychiatric placement will factor into that decision, questions that have not yet been answered in court filings.
