False Threats and Immigration Woes: The Case of Demetric D. Scott and Ramón Morales Reyes
A Wisconsin man, Demetric D. Scott, is facing charges for allegedly forging a threatening letter against President Donald Trump to have a potential witness in a criminal case deported. The letter was sent with the name and return address of Ramón Morales Reyes. Scott has been charged with witness intimidation, identity theft, and bail jumping. His attorney has not commented on the case.
Ramón Morales Reyes, the supposed author of the threatening letter, was arrested by immigration agents after dropping off his child at school in Milwaukee. However, investigations revealed discrepancies in the handwriting of the letter and Morales Reyes' handwriting. Morales Reyes, who does not speak English fluently, was listed as a victim in a case involving Scott, who is awaiting trial on armed robbery and aggravated battery charges.
The criminal complaint states that Scott allegedly knocked a man off his bicycle, cut him with a box cutter, and rode off on the stolen bike. Scott was arrested shortly after the incident and admitted to writing the threatening letters in jail calls. Morales Reyes, a dishwasher in Milwaukee, had applied for a U visa for victims of serious crimes, and his attorney is working to clear him of any involvement in the letter writing.
The focus now is on securing Morales Reyes' release from custody and exploring options to keep him in the country with his family, including his three US citizen children. The U visa application is backlogged, so alternative relief options will be pursued in immigration court to prevent his deportation.