Man accused of writing Trump assassination letters was framed, officials say

3 hours ago Share Save Brandon Drenon BBC News Share Save

Department of Homeland Security A copy of the handwritten letter mailed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials

A man accused of writing letters threatening to assassinate US President Donald Trump was framed, investigators say. Ramon Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old undocumented immigrant, was arrested last week after officials alleged he threatened to shoot Trump. He faces a deportation hearing Wednesday. In a court filing, prosecutors now claim the letters were written by Demetric Deshawn Scott, who is set to face trial on allegations he assaulted and robbed Mr Morales-Reyes. Mr Scott has been charged with witness intimidation, identity theft and breach of bail. He told investigators he wrote the letters to prevent Mr Morales-Reyes from testifying in the robbery case, court documents say.

In an interview after his arrest on 22 May, Mr Morales-Reyes told investigators he suspected Mr Scott wanted to “get him in trouble” after he accused him of robbery. Mr Morales-Reyes doesn’t speak fluent English, and his handwriting is “completely different” from the writing on the letters, according to the court filing. Police in Milwaukee – Wisconsin’s most populous city – then interviewed Mr Scott, who “admitted that he wrote everything on the letters and envelopes himself”. “When asked what was going through his head at the time of writing the letters, the defendant stated ‘Freedom,'” the filing said. According to the filing, he admitted his intention was not to threaten Trump but prevent Mr Morales-Reyes from testifying at his trial, which is scheduled for July. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a press release announcing Mr Morales-Reyes’s arrest over a letter sent to an immigration field officer, including a copy of it. In the letter, the author said he would “shoot your precious president in his [sic] head” at a Trump rally before fleeing back to his native country of Mexico. Versions of the letter were also sent to the Wisconsin attorney general’s office and Milwaukee police chief.