Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years for Elaborate Plot to Frame Immigrant with Trump Death Threats

Milwaukee, WI – A Wisconsin man has been handed a significant prison sentence exceeding 16 years for orchestrating a complex scheme to frame an immigrant with false death threats against then-President Donald Trump, intending to trigger his deportation and prevent him from testifying in a separate criminal case. The elaborate plot not only led to the wrongful arrest and public identification of the innocent victim by federal authorities but also exposed vulnerabilities within the nation’s immigration enforcement and justice systems.

Demetric Scott, 52, received his sentence on Friday after a Milwaukee County jury convicted him in early February on multiple charges, including misappropriating a person’s identity to harm reputation and intimidating a witness. Scott was also found guilty of recklessly endangering safety and bail jumping, stemming from an earlier robbery he committed against the very individual he later sought to frame, Ramon Morales Reyes. The case, meticulously detailed through court proceedings and federal investigations, painted a stark picture of malicious intent and a calculated effort to manipulate the legal system for personal gain.

The Genesis of a Deceptive Plot

The events leading to Scott’s conviction began with a violent encounter in Milwaukee. Prosecutors detailed how Scott attacked Ramon Morales Reyes, a local dishwasher and father of three, while Reyes was riding his bicycle. Scott allegedly kicked Reyes off his bike, then stabbed him with a box cutter before fleeing with the bicycle. Following this assault, Scott was arrested and subsequently incarcerated. It was from behind bars, facing serious charges, that Scott began to devise his intricate plan to silence his victim and evade justice.

Realizing that Morales Reyes’s testimony would be crucial in the robbery trial against him, Scott sought to eliminate this threat by ensuring Reyes was deported. His plan involved crafting fictitious, highly inflammatory letters, purportedly from Morales Reyes, that contained explicit death threats against then-President Donald Trump and threats to "blow up the White House" and the entire country "like 9/11 in New York." To execute this, Scott enlisted his mother, who, unbeknownst to her, mailed these fabricated letters, thereby setting in motion a chain of events that would ensnare an innocent man in a federal investigation.

In one of the chillingly crafted letters, Scott wrote, as cited in the criminal complaint: "I am not scared of the Trump Administration. 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. I will self deport myself back to Mexico but not before I … shoot your precious president." The language was specifically designed to align with xenophobic tropes and incite a strong reaction from federal authorities during a period of heightened political tension and strict immigration enforcement.

Federal Authorities Misled: The Unjust Arrest of Ramon Morales Reyes

The deceptive scheme achieved its intended, albeit deeply unjust, effect. The letters, once received, triggered a federal investigation. In May 2025, federal officials, including then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, publicly identified and accused Ramon Morales Reyes of authoring and sending the threats. This identification came through a DHS press release and social media posts from Noem, which featured Reyes’s face and name, plastering his identity across national and international media platforms.

This public accusation was made despite federal law enforcement sources, as reported by CNN, indicating that officials were aware Reyes likely did not pen the letters. The timing of these public statements was particularly notable: time stamps on social media posts from Noem and the DHS press release coincided with the very day a judge signed a search warrant for Scott’s jail cell in connection with the letters – May 28, 2025. This raises serious questions about the diligence and motives behind the public outing of Morales Reyes.

Noem’s statement accompanying the accusation further fueled the narrative, claiming, "This threat comes not even a year after President Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania and less than two weeks after former FBI Director Comey called for the President’s assassination. All politicians and members of the media should take notice of these repeated attempts on President Trump’s life and tone down their rhetoric. I will continue to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection of President Trump." While seemingly aimed at protecting the President, the statement inadvertently amplified Scott’s malicious fabrication and lent credibility to the false accusations against Reyes.

Following the federal pronouncements, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Morales Reyes in May 2025. He was subsequently booked at the Dodge County Jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, pending removal proceedings, as DHS officials stated he was "in the U.S. illegally." This arrest was a direct consequence of Scott’s manipulation, placing an innocent man, who had lived in the U.S. since the 1980s and was working as a dishwasher to support his family, into the harsh reality of the deportation process.

Scott’s Motivations and Jailhouse Confessions

Evidence presented during Scott’s trial, including recorded jailhouse phone calls, clearly illuminated his motivations and the meticulous nature of his plot. Scott’s primary goal was to ensure Morales Reyes would be deported before his scheduled jury trial for the robbery.

"They just need to pick his a** up," Scott was heard telling an acquaintance during one call. "I’m dead serious cause I got jury trial on July 15th. I got final pretrial on June 16th so if he is apprehended by the 16th, we can go into court and say, ‘Hey, he’s in custody now. … There is no reason for us to even continue the July 15th jury date.’ And 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."

In another revealing conversation, Scott expressed his desperation to avoid conviction: "I don’t want to take a chance and lose, I’m facing too much time. So, I told my lawyer, postpone this get everything we can get that way I can beat this motherf***ing case. I said, ’cause the next time I go to court, I want to win.’" These statements underscored his cynical disregard for justice and his willingness to destroy another person’s life to secure his own freedom.

Sentencing and Judicial Condemnation

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Kristy Yang delivered a scathing rebuke to Scott during his sentencing. "It was clear and it still is clear to me today that you only care about yourself," Judge Yang stated, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She continued, "You went to great lengths to advance your own self interests. And you even stated in open court your disdain for the victim and how you still wanted the victim deported. It’s such a shame that you would feel like that and have so much hate."

The judge’s words highlighted Scott’s persistent animosity towards Morales Reyes, even after being convicted for his crimes, revealing a deeply ingrained malice that extended beyond mere self-preservation.

Assistant District Attorney Kyle Elderkin, advocating for a lengthy sentence, emphasized the severe impact of Scott’s actions on the integrity of the justice system. "When somebody actively works against the interests of justice, actively works to try to get cases dismissed and people deported, something has to be done to send a clear message that that is not OK," Elderkin told the court.

The sentencing details reflect the gravity of Scott’s offenses:

• 10 years in prison and five years of extended supervision for the recklessly endangering safety charge.
• One year and six months for the misappropriating identity charge, along with two years of extended supervision.
• Five years in prison and five years of extended supervision for intimidating a witness.
• 882 days of initial confinement for the bail jumping charge, which Scott had already served prior to sentencing and was credited for, along with a year of extended supervision.

The cumulative effect of these sentences ensures that Demetric Scott will be incarcerated for a substantial period, reflecting the court’s condemnation of his calculated criminal behavior.

The Enduring Trauma of Ramon Morales Reyes

While justice has been served for Demetric Scott, the repercussions of his actions continue to affect Ramon Morales Reyes profoundly. Morales Reyes chose not to attend Scott’s sentencing hearing, a decision explained by ADA Elderkin. "He has testified in not one but two jury trials, he has had his name broadcast and his image broadcast not just on local media, not just on national media, but international media," Elderkin noted. "He has done his service to testify to the truth in this case."

The experience has been deeply traumatic for Reyes. His deportation defense attorney, Cain Oulahan, told the Associated Press, "He’s been traumatized by going through all this, all these different levels that feel like victimization. He just wants to work and be with his family again." Morales Reyes, who is married and a father of three, is currently out on bond and has applied for a U-visa, a specific immigration benefit designed for victims of certain crimes who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. This visa provides a pathway to legal status and protection for crime victims, acknowledging the vital role they play in upholding justice.

The incident highlights the immense vulnerability of undocumented immigrants within the U.S. legal system. False accusations, especially those involving federal threats, can quickly escalate into deportation proceedings, irrespective of the truth, often without the full due process afforded to citizens. Immigration advocacy groups have frequently pointed to cases like Reyes’s as examples of how the immigration system can be weaponized, or how its mechanisms, when misapplied, can inflict severe harm on individuals and families.

Broader Implications and Lessons Learned

This case serves as a stark reminder of several critical issues within the American justice and immigration landscape. Firstly, it underscores the dangerous potential of individuals to exploit political tensions and immigration policies for personal gain, even at the cost of another person’s freedom and reputation. Scott’s calculated use of anti-immigrant rhetoric in his forged letters aimed directly at triggering the deportation machinery of the Trump administration, which had adopted increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement measures.

Secondly, the involvement of high-ranking federal officials, particularly then-Secretary Noem, in publicly identifying and accusing Morales Reyes despite internal awareness of his likely innocence, raises serious questions about accountability, due diligence, and the politicization of federal agencies. The incident calls for greater transparency and scrutiny in how federal agencies handle sensitive information, especially when it involves the public identification of individuals in ongoing investigations, and particularly when those individuals are immigrants who face heightened risks.

The damage inflicted on Morales Reyes’s reputation, the emotional distress, and the disruption to his life are immeasurable. His ordeal illustrates the chilling effect such incidents can have on crime victims, particularly those who are undocumented, who might be hesitant to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement for fear of being targeted or deported. This undermines the fundamental principle of justice for all and compromises public safety by allowing criminals to operate with less fear of prosecution.

The case also highlights the importance of robust legal defense and advocacy for immigrant communities. Morales Reyes’s ability to navigate the complex legal and immigration systems, with the help of his attorney and the subsequent unearthing of Scott’s plot, was crucial in his eventual exoneration from the false federal accusations and his ongoing efforts to secure a stable future in the U.S. through a U-visa.

As Demetric Scott begins his lengthy prison sentence, the reverberations of his elaborate deception continue to echo, prompting reflection on the safeguards needed to protect the innocent, uphold the integrity of justice, and ensure that federal power is wielded responsibly and fairly, irrespective of an individual’s immigration status.