A Florida man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for two counts of sending interstate threats to federal officials.
Diego M. Villavicencio, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for 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 plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court documents show that the Defendant made multiple online threats of violence directed at President Donald J. Trump, Former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and then-Rep. Eric Swalwell over the course of several months.
On September 15, 2025, the Defendant posted on his X account threats directed at Former Chairman Powell, with one post depicting 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), and a second post depicting the same image and the text “Jerome is next.”
“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.”
On September 16, 2025, the Defendant again sent threats via his X account, this time directed toward a Member of Congress. 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.”
On January 25, 2026, the Defendant responded to a post on the online platform 4chan, stating that he would be driving to Mar-a-Lago “to take a couple of shots at trump and some of the other corrupt plutocrats[.]”
“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 defendant’s prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release, with the first year on home detention. Special conditions of his supervision include a mental health evaluation and treatment and submitting to computer monitoring by the probation office.
“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 case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Capitol Police, the Federal Reserve Board Protective Service, and the United States Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch.
This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House-directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.
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