Diego M. Villavicencio, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for sending interstate threats and making threats against the President and other federal officials, according to a July 31 announcement by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
United States Attorney John P. Heekin said, “Criminal threats directed at public officials are becoming alarmingly more common, and this must stop now. We have zero-tolerance for such criminality in the Northern District of Florida, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these violent criminal threats to keep our public officials safe.”
Court documents show that Villavicencio made multiple online threats targeting President Donald J. Trump, former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell over several months. On September 15, 2025, he posted on his X account images depicting crosshairs aimed at Powell’s head with messages stating “Jerome. Powell will be shot and killed September 23” (sic) and “Jerome is next.” The following day he threatened a Member of Congress via X by writing “I’ll kill you and your family and you won’t do anything about it. Corruption listens to bullets,” followed by a direct message stating “You are going to be shot and killed on September 24.” On January 25, 2026, he responded on the platform 4chan that he would drive to Mar-a-Lago “to take a couple of shots at trump and some of the other corrupt plutocrats[.]”
FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley said, “Threats of violence against the President and other federal officials are serious crimes and have no place in our society… The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to investigate, prevent harm and ensure those responsible are held accountable under the law.” Seth Reister, Resident Agent in Charge of Secret Service Tallahassee, added: “Protective intelligence is one of the most important tools available to the United States Secret Service… The conviction and sentencing in this case demonstrate the dedication and professionalism of our agents, law enforcement partners, and prosecutorial partners in carrying out that mission.”
Villavicencio’s sentence includes three years supervised release after prison—one year under home detention—with special conditions including mental health evaluation/treatment as well as computer monitoring by probation officers.
The investigation involved cooperation between multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Capitol Police (USCP), Federal Reserve Board Protective Service (FRBPS), United States Secret Service (USSS), with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch.
This case is part of National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative—a White House-directed interagency effort focused on protecting First Amendment rights while addressing political violence through Joint Task Force Vanguard integration.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida enforces federal laws across northern Florida’s 23 counties—including Tallahassee—and operates from courthouses located in Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Gainesville; it collaborates with various law enforcement agencies through initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood, according to its official website.