Man Arrested In Michigan For Threatening To Kill JD Vance

A Grand Rapids man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after admitting he posted violent threats to kill President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of the First Family. The sentence, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, marks the second time in one month that federal prosecutors in the district have secured a prison term against an individual who threatened the President.

According to federal authorities, 67-year-old James Donald Vance, Jr., of Grand Rapids, used the alias “Diaperjdv” on the social media platform Bluesky to post a series of threats in March and April of this year. Prosecutors said Vance made “specific threats to kill four people,” including the President, Vice President, and one of the President’s children.

In one post, Vance declared that he did not care whether he was shot by Secret Service agents or spent the rest of his life in prison for his actions. Vance pled guilty to two felony counts: threatening to kill or injure the President and Vice President, and interstate threatening communications.

Each offense carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a potential $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney handed down the two-year sentence in Kalamazoo, calling Vance’s conduct “grievous” and emphasizing the need for punishment to deter others from issuing similar threats online.

The case highlights what authorities describe as a growing problem: individuals using online platforms to direct violent rhetoric at national leaders. Prosecutors noted that Vance’s sentencing came less than a month after another Michigan man received a federal prison sentence for threatening President Trump.

On October 20, Richard James Spring of Comstock Park was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $2,000 by U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering after pleading guilty to threatening to kill President Trump following the commission of rape.

United States Attorney Timothy VerHey explained, “The advent of the internet gives us all an opportunity to engage in the healthy exchange of ideas that are so important to a democracy. But some would rather use this tool to threaten and intimidate, conduct that causes fear and damages our democratic ideals. When Vance said he planned to kill our President and the Vice President simply because he disagreed with them, he crossed a line we all understand and so had to be punished.”

The United States Secret Service, which led the investigation through its Grand Rapids office, echoed the message that threats against national leaders will trigger aggressive federal action. William Shink, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Detroit Field Office, stated, “Threats against our nation’s leaders and their families will not be tolerated. Individuals who threaten the President, Vice President or any U.S. Secret Service protectee will be investigated and held accountable for their actions.”

Federal officials say cases like Vance’s demonstrate the seriousness with which threats to the President and Vice President are treated, regardless of whether they are made anonymously or under an alias online. Both Vance and Spring are now serving prison sentences as prosecutors continue to warn that threatening federal officials is a felony that carries real consequences.