NEW: Transgender Faces 20 Years For Attack Against JD Vance, His Family

The hammer-wielding suspect who stormed Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati property has pleaded guilty to federal charges after a bizarre attack that caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

William D. DeFoor, 26, pleaded guilty to engaging in acts of physical violence against government officials and causing willful injury to property of the United States, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced Tuesday.

DeFoor came under national scrutiny in January after breaching the area around Vance’s $1.4 million Ohio home while carrying a hammer.

The vice president and his family were in Washington, D.C., at the time.

Secret Service agents apprehended DeFoor in the early hours of Jan. 5 after he ran along the front fence of the property.

According to charging documents, DeFoor repeatedly struck the driver’s side window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle with a hammer before turning his attention to windows at Vance’s home.

He also refused commands from law enforcement to drop the weapon.

Federal prosecutors estimated the damage to government-owned property at approximately $28,000.

U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II condemned the attack in announcing the guilty plea.

‘Acts of violence directed against our political leaders, their families, or property, have no place in our society and will not be tolerated. Our elected leaders, at all levels of government, must be permitted to carry out their duties free from threats, vandalism, and other forms of violence,’ Gerace said.

An Ohioan pleaded guilty to vandalizing and trying to break into JD Vance’s Cincinnati home in January.

William DeFoor, 26, pleaded guilty to causing willful injury or depredation and carrying out physical violence against government officials during a court hearing today. pic.twitter.com/w1Be5JaF2W

— The Federalist Press 🇻🇦🇺🇸 (@FederalistPress) September 1, 2026

‘Perpetrators like DeFoor, who put that freedom at risk, particularly through violent, destructive actions, will, like here, be vigorously prosecuted.’

DeFoor’s attorneys have argued that the attack was not politically motivated and had ‘nothing to do with the specifics of the vice president.’

His legal team has instead pointed to an extensive history of mental illness, including a schizophrenia diagnosis and previous treatment in psychiatric facilities.

His mother, Catherine DeFoor, addressed those struggles in a statement earlier this year.

‘It is a struggle which can take over the life of a beautiful person and the people who love and support them,’ she said.

‘Unfortunately for our child, it has taken over his life in a way that we can never have imagined.’

DeFoor’s prior legal troubles included a 2023 trespassing charge at the University of Cincinnati Health Psychiatric Emergency Services.

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A court later found him incompetent to stand trial, and that case was dismissed.

In 2024, DeFoor was charged with two counts of vandalism after breaking windows at a local business and was ordered to receive treatment.

His mother was later granted legal guardianship after he was found incompetent because of mental illness.

Defense attorneys previously sought DeFoor’s release from custody while the federal case was pending.

‘Mr. DeFoor’s alleged offense conduct was using a hammer to damage two windows and a car and refusing to listen to the orders of Secret Service Agents,’ defense attorneys argued in a motion.

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‘Put more succinctly, while in the midst of an ongoing mental health crisis a young person damaged property and did not listen to someone shouting at him.’

‘These circumstances are only noteworthy for one reason; it just so happens that this occurred at the home of the Vice President,’ his legal reps added.

His attorneys also argued that the conduct should be viewed as the actions of someone in crisis rather than an inherently violent offender.

‘While in the midst of a mental health crisis, Mr. DeFoor used a hammer to damage a home and a car. This is not the behavior of an inherently violent person, merely a person in crisis,’ defense attorneys argued.

The Daily Mail previously reported that DeFoor appeared to have transitioned to female and used the name Julia. A Facebook profile under the name Julia DeFoor was reportedly created about a month before the attack.

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DeFoor grew up in Cincinnati‘s affluent Hyde Park neighborhood and is the child of two doctors.

His attorneys said he had previously stabilized while receiving treatment and began working toward a bachelor’s degree before his symptoms returned in December 2025.

Judge Douglas R. Cole denied a request that DeFoor be allowed to await trial at his parents’ home, and he has remained in detention.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.

Despite the headline’s reference to 20 years, the source article states that DeFoor faces up to 10 years in prison for the offenses.

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