Complaint: Milwaukee man admits to framing immigrant with threat against President Trump

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee man is facing criminal charges, accused of framing an undocumented immigrant for a letter he wrote threatening President Donald Trump in an effort to keep him from testifying against him in a criminal case. 

Demetric Scott is charged with identify theft, bail jumping, and felony intimidation of a witness (by person charged with a felony).

According to the criminal complaint, Scott sent handwritten letters to the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, and the Milwaukee Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office, with a return address connected to Ramon Morales-Reyes, commenting on immigration policy and threatening to kill ICE agents or President Trump. 

Morales-Reyes was arrested on May 22. The complaint says he does not read, write, or fluently speak English, so an interview was conducted using translation assistance. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem touted the arrest in a statement posted to the agency's website last week. 

Meanwhile, investigators took a handwritten note from Morales-Reyes and compared to the writing on the letters and envelopes. The complaint says the handwriting is "completely different." 

The release is still posted on the DHS' website. DHS spokespeople have yet to respond to multiple follow-up messages CBS 58 sent last week.

Investigators asked Morales-Reyes who would want to get him in trouble, and he reportedly stated that the only person he could think of would be the person who robbed him. 

Court records show Scott was charged in 2023 with armed robbery and aggravated battery. Court records from that case state Scott stabbed a victim named 'RM' and stole his bicycle near S. 22nd St. and W. Scott St.

Morales-Reyes' immigration lawyer, Cain Oulahan, confirmed Monday evening Morales-Reyes was the victim in that robbery and planned to testify against Scott in his trial next month.

"He's now been victimized twice," Oulahan said. "First, when he was stabbed and he was cooperating with law enforcement, and now again, when his name and picture were put on social media by our government, which has resulted in threats against his life."

Milwaukee police listened to several jail calls placed by Scott in which they say he referenced a "hell of a plan" and asked people to mail letters for him that he'd written.

The complaint says during an interview with detectives on May 30, Scott admitted that he wrote everything in the letters himself to prevent Morales-Reyes from testifying at his trial.

He reportedly said he knew including a threat to President Trump would mean Secret Service would get involved and law enforcement would do a lot more investigating.

When asked what was going through his head, the complaint says he said, "freedom." 

Morales-Reyes is currently being held at the Dodge County jail with a June 4 appearance date in front of an immigration judge.

The complaint says he faces the possibility of removal from this country. Oulahan said he was calling on DHS to issue a public correction stating Morales-Reyes did not threaten the president.

"There's been a lot of anguish suffered," Oulahan said. "DHS has the right to proceed with a case because my client is undocumented, but I do expect there to be some level of cooperation to make up for the harm that's been done to him."