Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks to staff on the Department of Homeland Security, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington, U.S.
Manuel Balce Ceneta | Via Reuters
Threatening letters about President Donald Trump that ended in the highly-touted arrest by means of federal government of an undocumented immigrant final month have been in reality written by means of a jailed Wisconsin guy seeking to get him deported, prosecutors mentioned in a brand new felony criticism.
Demetric DeShawn Scott, the inmate, was hoping to get Mexican immigrant Ramon Morales-Reyes deported as a result of he’s a witness in Scott’s upcoming felony trial for alleged armed theft and battery towards Morales-Reyes, a felony criticism filed Monday says.
“I got a plan. I got a hell of a plan,” Scott, 52, mentioned in a recorded name from prison on April 27, in step with the felony criticism.
And in a May 16 recorded name, Scott, relating to Morales-Reyes, mentioned, “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,” the criticism mentioned. “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.”
Scott is now charged in Milwaukee Circuit Court with id robbery and prison intimidation of a witness, and bail leaping in reference to the alleged rip-off. CNBC has asked remark from his lawyer
But Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old married father of 3 who works as a dishwasher, stays in custody as a result of he used to be within the United States illegally, in step with the Department of Homeland Security.
He faces an look sooner than an immigration pass judgement on on Wednesday and the opportunity of removing from the United States.
ICE arrested Ramon Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old from Mexico on May 22, 2025.
Courtesy: U.S. Homeland Security
A senior DHS legitimate, in a observation to CNBC when requested about Morales-Reyes, mentioned, “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 legitimate mentioned. “He will remain in custody.”
DHS final month mentioned that Morales-Reyes “entered the U.S. illegally at least nine times between 1998-2005.”
“His criminal record includes arrests for felony hit-and-run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier,” the dep. mentioned on the time.
A legal professional for Morales-Reyes, Kime Abduli, advised CNBC that he lately carried out for a U visa, which is to be had for other folks within the U.S. illegally who’re the sufferers of sure crimes.
Abduli mentioned Morales-Reyes used to be attacked with a field cutter by means of a person whom he later recognized as Scott in 2023, and that he cooperated with government of their investigation.
Abduli mentioned she and some other legal professional for him are “putting in all efforts we can to get him out” of immigration detention.
“Honestly, it’s kind of been a whirlwind the past few days,” she mentioned. “It’s been a lot to process. It’s just unfortunate that this has spun to the level it has and that Mr. Morales has been dragged into the limelight in this way, but I just hope that justice prevails. It’s been hard for him and his family.”
The immigrant used to be arrested outdoor a Milwaukee faculty on May 22 after losing off his daughter, who, like his different two kids, is a U.S. citizen, in step with Abduli.
“Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Krist Noem mentioned in a May 28 observation pronouncing his arrest.
The bust got here an afternoon after the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office, the police leader of Milwaukee, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in that town all won mailed handwritten letters in envelopes with the go back deal with of Morales-Reyes, the criticism says.
“The letters were all handwritten and, although not exactly the same, all wrote about immigration policy and threatening to kill ICE agents or President Donald Trump,” the submitting says.
“Those letters also appeared to be written by the same person.”
The criticism quotes excerpts of the letters, which have been written in English.
“That interview was conducted using translation assistance, as RM-R does not read, write, or fluently speak English,” the criticism mentioned.
“During that interview, law enforcement asked RM-R who would want to get RM-R in trouble. RM-R stated that 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, Demetric D. Scott.”
The criticism mentioned the detective had Morales-Reyes write a handwritten be aware, which confirmed “completely different handwriting than what is on the letters and envelopes.”
After talking with Morales-Reyes, regulation enforcement listened to recordings of a number of calls from the Milwaukee County Jail that have been made by means of Scott.
In an April 27 name, Scott advised someone else to inform a 3rd person who he used to be going to ship two letters to her hours, and “I need Carmella to mail off for me.”
In some other name at the similar day, Scott mentioned having despatched “a big manila envelope” to his mom’s area.
“I just need you to put them in the mailbox for me,” Scott mentioned, in step with the felony criticism. “I just need them to be mailed out from the street and not from here.”
In a decision on May 1, the usage of some other inmate’s ID quantity, Scott advised the individual at the different finish of the road to put in writing down a bunch, which used to be for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement tip line, and “call this number for me,” the filings mentioned.
On May 11, Scott had a decision wherein he mentioned, “I’ll probably get out this motherf—– July 15,” which is the date of his scheduled trial for allegedly robbing Morales-Reyes, in step with the criticism.
“Dude don’t come to court then they gonna have to dismiss my case,” Scott mentioned. “Listen, I need, um, an address. I need for someone to go google, uh, um, um, uh, Department of Justice, the Attorney General. I need the Attorney General address in the state of Wisconsin. Do you know how to do that?
Last Friday, a Milwaukee police detective interviewed Scott, who “admitted that he wrote the whole lot at the letters and envelopes himself. He said that the letters have been made with out the help of any individual,” the complaint said.
“When requested what used to be going via his head on the time of writing the letters, the defendant said ‘Freedom,’ ” the complaint said.
“The defendant admitted that his aim used to be to not pass after President Trump, reasonably, to forestall RM-R from attesting at his trial,” the complaint said.
“The defendant said that he knew that together with a risk to President Trump within the letters would imply that Secret Service must become involved and regulation enforcement would indubitably pass to RM-R’s area.”
Scott, shortly after that interview, called his mother from jail, according to the complaint.
“The detective used to be like, ‘Well, no matter your plan used to be, it labored he mentioned, purpose he were given deported now as a result of we needed to pass select him up,’ ” Scott told his mother, the complaint said.
“Out of always I’ve been in right here, 19 months, his ass were given what he deserve,” Scott said.
“He were given deported the way in which he will have to’ve as a result of he wasn’t meant to be right here anyway, so he can take his ass again to Mexico. He took 19 months clear of me and most definitely longer than that.”