GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WILX) – A Grand Rapids man has been sentenced to prison for threatening the president, vice president, and one of the president’s children.
James Donald Vance Jr., a 67-year-old man from Grand Rapids, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for threatening to kill President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and one of Trump’s kids.
Despite the similar-sounding names, the man has no relation to the Vice President.
Officials say in March and April of this year, the man posted threatening messages on Bluesky under the handle “Diaperjdv.”
Bluesky is a social media app that functions similar to Threads or Twitter/X.
“In one message, he proclaimed that he did not care whether he was shot by Secret Service or would spend the rest of his life in prison for his actions,” the Department of Justice says.
He pled guilty to two felonies: threatening to kill or injure the President and Vice President and interstate threatening communications. Each felony carries up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey.
“Threats against our nation’s leaders and their families will not be tolerated,” said William Shink, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service’s Detroit Field Office. “Individuals who threaten the President, Vice President or any U.S. Secret Service protectee will be investigated and held accountable for their actions.”
