Diego M. Villavicencio of Tallahassee was sentenced in federal court after a string of violent online threats against President Donald J. Trump, Former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and a Member of Congress, with the case prosecuted as part of a broader national effort to disrupt political violence.
Diego M. Villavicencio, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, received a two-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple counts related to interstate threats and retaliation against federal officials. The judgment covers two counts of sending interstate threats, one count of impeding or retaliating against a federal official, and one count of threats against the President. The sentencing date and courtroom specifics were announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
Court records show Villavicencio posted repeated threats online over several months that targeted public figures. Those posts named President Donald J. Trump, former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and then-Representative Eric Swalwell as intended victims, and investigators tracked specific posts and direct messages back to his accounts. The pattern of escalating language and dated threats pushed the matter into federal investigation and prosecution.
On September 15, 2025, the defendant posted threats on his X account directed at Former Chairman Powell, including an image of a red sight and crosshairs pointed at Powell’s head and the text “Jerome. Powell will be shot and killed September 23” (sic). A second post showed the same image with the text “Jerome is next.” Those posts were cited in charging papers and used to establish both intent and a credible specific threat to a protected official.
One day later the defendant targeted a Member of Congress in public replies and private messages. Responding to a post by the Member, the Defendant wrote “I’ll kill you and your family and you won’t do anything about it. Corruption listens to bullets.” The Defendant then sent a direct message to the Member stating “You are going to be shot and killed on September 24.” These messages were obtained and documented by investigators during the probe.
On January 25, 2026, the Defendant posted on the online platform 4chan that he would be driving to Mar-a-Lago “to take a couple of shots at trump and some of the other corrupt plutocrats[.]” That post, combined with the earlier dated threats, formed part of the timeline prosecutors relied on to show a continuing and serial course of threatening conduct. The specific dates and wording were emphasized in court filings to demonstrate the seriousness of the offenses.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin announced the plea and stressed the growing problem of violent threats against officials. “Criminal threats directed at public officials are becoming alarmingly more common, and this must stop now,” U.S. Attorney Heekin said. “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.”
Law enforcement officials involved in the investigation described the case as part of a focused effort to prevent targeted political violence. “Threats of violence against the President and other federal officials are serious crimes and have no place in our society,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “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.”
The sentence includes two years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, with the first year on home detention. Special conditions of supervision require a mental health evaluation and treatment and submission to computer monitoring by the probation office. Those conditions were imposed to address both public safety and the defendant’s risk of reoffending online.
Officials from the Secret Service highlighted protective intelligence and interagency cooperation in the case. “Protective intelligence is one of the most important tools available to the United States Secret Service. Identifying, investigating, and prosecuting individuals who threaten the life of the President of the United States or other protected officials reflects the seriousness with which we treat every threat,” said Seth Reister, Resident Agent in Charge of Secret Service Tallahassee. “The Secret Service will not tolerate threats, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the Office of the President and all our protectees. 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.”
The investigation was a joint effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Capitol Police, the Federal Reserve Board Protective Service, and the United States Secret Service, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch. Prosecutors also noted the matter falls under the National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, an interagency program aimed at coordinating federal, state, and local partners to protect First Amendment rights while addressing political violence through Joint Task Force Vanguard.
