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A Wisconsin man who orchestrated a complex scheme to frame a Mexican immigrant for threatening former President Donald Trump has been sentenced to 16½ years in prison, concluding a case that briefly became a flashpoint in national immigration debates.
Demetric DeShawn Scott, 52, received his sentence on Friday from Judge Kristy Yang after a Milwaukee County jury convicted him in January of felony identity theft, witness intimidation, bail jumping and reckless endangerment.
The case began in September 2023 when Scott attacked Ramon Morales Reyes, a Mexican immigrant who was riding his bicycle in Milwaukee. Scott kicked Morales Reyes off the bike, stabbed him with a box cutter, and fled with the bicycle. At the time of the assault, Scott was already out on bail for a separate burglary case, which Judge Yang dismissed on Friday.
After being arrested for the attack, Scott hatched an elaborate plan from jail to derail the prosecution against him. He wrote multiple letters posing as Morales Reyes to state and federal officials, threatening to kill Trump at a rally. The letters were convincing enough that federal immigration authorities detained Morales Reyes in May after he dropped his daughter off at school.
The case gained national attention when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicized Morales Reyes’ photo on social media alongside an excerpt from one of the letters purportedly written in English promising to shoot Trump. The Trump administration and supporters celebrated his arrest as a success in their immigration enforcement efforts.
However, investigators quickly determined the letters couldn’t have been written by Morales Reyes, who doesn’t speak English well and cannot write in the language. Additionally, the handwriting didn’t match his. Meanwhile, Scott’s jail calls revealed him discussing letters that needed to be mailed and a plan to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain someone to get his trial dismissed.
Scott, who has represented himself since December, maintained his innocence even as deputies escorted him from the courtroom following sentencing. In a striking comment to WDJT-TV, Scott said, “I had never stolen a bike from anybody, and so I did what I did because he was trying to get a visa and get, become a citizen.” When asked if he had regrets, he replied, “No, I don’t.”
Judge Yang structured Scott’s sentence with one year and six months for identity theft, five years for witness intimidation, and ten years for reckless endangerment. The bail jumping charge resulted in 882 days, which were considered already served.
Noem’s original DHS news release featuring Morales Reyes remains on the agency’s website, but now includes a disclaimer stating he’s no longer under investigation for threatening Trump. However, it notes that he remains in ICE custody pending deportation and claims he entered the U.S. illegally nine times between 1998 and 2005, with a criminal record including arrests for felony hit and run, property damage, and disorderly conduct.
Morales Reyes was released on $7,500 bond in June. His deportation defense attorney, Cain Oulahan, declined to comment on Scott’s sentencing but noted that Morales Reyes has applied for a U-visa, which allows crime victims and their family members to remain in the U.S. – a process that can take up to eight years. His legal team is also seeking an order to cancel his deportation.
According to his attorneys, Morales Reyes moved to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1980s and has worked as a dishwasher in Milwaukee. He is married with three children who are U.S. citizens. A search of online court records revealed no state or federal criminal cases in Wisconsin with Morales Reyes as a defendant, contradicting some claims in the DHS release.
The case illustrates how immigration enforcement can be weaponized in criminal matters and highlights vulnerabilities in the system that can lead to the detention of immigrants based on fabricated evidence.
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16 Comments
This case highlights the need for robust safeguards to prevent the exploitation of the immigration system for personal gain. Fabricating threats against the president is a serious offense that deserves a strong response.
Framing an innocent immigrant with fake threats against the former president is a grave abuse of power. The lengthy sentence in this case sends a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated.
While I understand the complexity of immigration debates, fabricating threats against public officials is unacceptable. This case highlights the need for rigorous safeguards to prevent such abuses of power.
Exploiting the immigration system for personal gain is a disturbing abuse of authority. I’m glad the perpetrator was held accountable through a lengthy prison sentence.
Framing an immigrant with fake threats against the former president is an abuse of the legal system. I hope this case serves as a deterrent to others considering similar schemes.
Forging threats against the president is a very serious crime. The long sentence handed down in this case should send a strong message that such behavior will not be tolerated.
While immigration debates can be complex, forging threats against public officials is never acceptable. This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of such malicious behavior.
I’m glad to see the perpetrator in this case being held accountable for their crimes. Framing an immigrant with fake threats against the president is a despicable abuse of power that deserves a strong response.
This is an unfortunate case involving a complex scheme to frame an immigrant. Forging threats against public officials is a serious offense that undermines public trust and safety. The lengthy sentence seems appropriate given the severity of the crimes.
Exploiting the immigration system to frame an innocent person is a despicable abuse of power. I’m glad the perpetrator was held accountable.
Framing an innocent person with threats against the former president is a grave misuse of the legal system. This case serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of such malicious behavior.
Forging threats to frame an immigrant is a despicable crime that undermines public trust. The lengthy sentence handed down in this case is warranted.
Forging threats against public officials is a grave offense that undermines the integrity of the legal system. This case serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of such malicious behavior.
I’m glad the perpetrator in this case was held accountable for their crimes. Framing an immigrant with fake threats is a despicable abuse of power that should be met with severe punishment.
While immigration policy remains a contentious issue, framing an immigrant with fake threats against the president is unacceptable. This case highlights the need for stronger safeguards to prevent such abuses of power.
Exploiting the immigration system to frame an innocent person is a serious abuse of authority. The lengthy sentence in this case sends a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated.