Prosecutors in Milwaukee have charged a man with four felonies for allegedly attempting to frame an undocumented immigrant, whom he is accused of assaulting, by mailing forged letters in the immigrant’s name threatening to kill Donald Trump. These letters, handwritten and forged, were sent to Wisconsin’s attorney general, Milwaukee police, and US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to significant media attention and even mentions from the White House and Trump’s allies. WISN-TV, a local ABC affiliate, reported that Demetric Scott admitted to investigators that he wrote the letters aiming to bring harm to Ramon Morales-Reyes, the accused victim.
The hoax deceived several, including Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, who commended ICE officers for apprehending Morales-Reyes based on the letters. Noem released an image of the threatening letter, raising anger towards Trump’s deportation policies, claiming retaliation in the name of Mexican immigrants. However, the scheme began to crumble when one of Morales-Reyes’ children revealed that their father was illiterate and couldn’t have written the letters. Investigators also noted that Morales-Reyes’ handwriting did not match that in the threatening letters, further disputing the credibility of the threat.
Scott is currently in Milwaukee county jail, facing charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery, with Morales-Reyes being the alleged victim. In a phone call transcripts prosecutors obtained, Scott reportedly planned this frame-up to dissuade Morales-Reyes from testifying against him, assuming ICE’s involvement would have led to a dismissal of the charges. Morales-Reyes, who works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee and lives with his family, had applied for a U visa, designated for undocumented victims of serious crimes, as his attorney stated.
Morales-Reyes is currently in ICE detention at a facility in Juneau, Wisconsin. This incident has shed light on the dangers of misinformation and the potential consequences of deceitful actions. José Olivares and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/02/letter-threatening-trump-fake-plot
