A Wisconsin man has been charged with forging letters trying to frame and expel another person who may have opposed him in a criminal robbery.
Wisconsin prosecutors said Demetric D. Scott, 52, allegedly sent a letter from Ramón Morales Reyes, who had the potential to kill Donald Trump and slam the immigration policy to slam state and federal officials.
He was charged with felony witnesses on Monday with a charge of intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail in Milwaukee court.
Scott's letter in the name of Morales Reyes was allegedly received on May 21 by the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office, the Milwaukee Police Chief and the Milwaukee Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office.
The criminal complaint says the letters are handwritten, all involving “immigration policy and threatening to kill Donald Trump’s hockey agent.”
Morales Reyes, 54, was arrested on May 22 because his name was at the return address of the letters, the complaint said.
The Department of Homeland Security released information about his arrest in May, and Secretary Kristi Noem said: "Thanks to our ice officials, the illegal foreigner who threatened to assassinate President Trump is in jail." The press release included a photo of Morales Reyes and a photo of a handwritten letter threatening to shoot Trump at one of his big rally.
But things didn't add up - investigative detectives found that Morales Reyes was not in English and needed an interpreter to assist with reading, writing or speaking. The writing sample also shows Morales Reyes’ handwriting is different from letters.
Law enforcement asked Morales Reyes if he knew anyone who wanted to get him in trouble. Morales Reyes said the only person was "the man who robbed him" - Demetric Scott, the complaint said.
Morales Reyes told detectives he knew Scott was sentenced to jail for armed robbery. Scott is conducting an armed robbery in Milwaukee County and has increased battery fees starting in September 2023, court records show.
The complaint said that after the interview, law enforcement heard several jail calls from Scott and found that he had made several calls to mail letters since April 27.
On a call on May 16, Scott said: "This guy is a damn illegal immigrant and they just have to pick up his butt. I'm dead because I was on the jury trial on July 15." Later on that call, he said: "The judge would agree that if he was picked up on ice, there would be no jury trial, so they might dismiss it that day. It's my plan."
On May 30, Milwaukee police detectives interviewed Scott, who admitted that he wrote and wrapped himself in. He said he showed them "freedom".
He admitted that his intention was not to follow Trump, but to prevent Morales Reyes from testifying at the trial.
A search warrant was executed in Scott's prison cell on May 30 and a blue pen was found - the letters were written in blue ink - a pink note reminded himself that he needed the attorney general's office address and an envelope.
Scott's attorney Robert Hampton III did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new allegations.
Morales Reyes' attorney Kime Abduli told NBC News that Morales Reyes was the victim of aggravated assault with Scott being the defendant in the case. The case will be tried on July 14.
"Our understanding is that Mr. Scott's goal (Mr. Morales Reyes) is because his immigration status explicitly intends to evacuate him from the United States so that (Mr. Morales Reyes) cannot testify against him," Abdully said.
Morales Reyes is still in custody on ice and is currently in dismissal process, which does not mean that a person will be automatically deported, lawyers said.
Morales Reyes will continue to be detained, a senior Department of Homeland Security official told NBC News.
"Investigation of the threat is underway. During the investigation, the person was determined to be illegal in the country and has a criminal record."
Morales Reyes, who "entered at least nine times between 1998 and 2005, entered the U.S. at least nine times between 1998 and 2005," said a criminal record of felony and running, criminal damage to property, and disorderly behavior with domestic abuse modifiers. He will remain on ice in the Dodge County Jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, pending the removal process, the release said.
Abduli told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Morales Reyes is applying for U-VISA to stay in the U.S. for up to four years if unrecorded victims and witnesses of certain crimes are helping in the U.S. investigation. He applied for the robbery of Scott and witnesses who were charged with conducting the victims and witnesses.