- Jun 24, 2025
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Federal authorities want everyone to understand something clearly: posting threats against the president or other top government officials on social media will result in serious prison time. A recent case out of Michigan drives that point home in a big way.
As initially reported, a 67 year old Grand Rapids man named James Donald Vance Jr. was just given a two year federal prison sentence for posting online threats targeting the President, the Vice President, and one of the President's children. The case was publicly announced by Timothy VerHey, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. His office confirmed that Vance Jr. entered guilty pleas on two felony counts: one for threatening to kill or injure the President and Vice President, and another for interstate threatening communications. Both offenses carry potential penalties of up to five years behind bars and fines as high as $250,000.
The threatening posts appeared during March and April of 2025 on Bluesky, where Vance Jr. used the screen name "Diaperjdv." In one particularly alarming message, he wrote that he did not care if Secret Service agents shot him or if he spent his remaining years locked up because of what he intended to do.
U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney, who oversaw the case in Kalamazoo, described the behavior as "grievous." He concluded that nothing short of incarceration would serve as an adequate deterrent for others who might contemplate posting similar threats.
Remarkably, this was not even a one off situation for the region. Only weeks before, on October 20, 2025, another Michigan man received federal prison time for a comparable offense. Richard James Spring of Comstock Park was sentenced to 18 months and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine after threatening to kill President Trump. U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering issued that sentence in Grand Rapids. So within a single month, the same federal district produced two prison sentences connected to threats against the president.
U.S. Attorney VerHey spoke about the bigger picture. He noted that the internet provides everyone with a chance to participate in the kind of open exchange of ideas that is vital to democracy. However, he pointed out that some people choose instead to use that tool for threats and intimidation, behavior that spreads fear and undermines democratic values. He stated that when Vance Jr. declared his intention to kill the President and Vice President simply over political disagreements, he crossed a boundary that everyone recognizes, and punishment was the only appropriate response.
William Shink, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service's Detroit Field Office, reinforced the point with a direct warning. He said that threats targeting the nation's leaders and their families will never be tolerated. Anyone who threatens the President, Vice President, or any individual under Secret Service protection will face a thorough investigation and will be held fully accountable.
The takeaway from federal prosecutors could not be more plain. Hiding behind an anonymous username on social media offers zero protection. The legal consequences for this kind of conduct are both real and severe.
Continue reading more about it at: Grand Rapids Resident Gets Two Years in Federal Prison for Presidential Threats on Bluesky, and He Is Not the Only One
As initially reported, a 67 year old Grand Rapids man named James Donald Vance Jr. was just given a two year federal prison sentence for posting online threats targeting the President, the Vice President, and one of the President's children. The case was publicly announced by Timothy VerHey, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. His office confirmed that Vance Jr. entered guilty pleas on two felony counts: one for threatening to kill or injure the President and Vice President, and another for interstate threatening communications. Both offenses carry potential penalties of up to five years behind bars and fines as high as $250,000.
The threatening posts appeared during March and April of 2025 on Bluesky, where Vance Jr. used the screen name "Diaperjdv." In one particularly alarming message, he wrote that he did not care if Secret Service agents shot him or if he spent his remaining years locked up because of what he intended to do.
U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney, who oversaw the case in Kalamazoo, described the behavior as "grievous." He concluded that nothing short of incarceration would serve as an adequate deterrent for others who might contemplate posting similar threats.
Remarkably, this was not even a one off situation for the region. Only weeks before, on October 20, 2025, another Michigan man received federal prison time for a comparable offense. Richard James Spring of Comstock Park was sentenced to 18 months and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine after threatening to kill President Trump. U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering issued that sentence in Grand Rapids. So within a single month, the same federal district produced two prison sentences connected to threats against the president.
U.S. Attorney VerHey spoke about the bigger picture. He noted that the internet provides everyone with a chance to participate in the kind of open exchange of ideas that is vital to democracy. However, he pointed out that some people choose instead to use that tool for threats and intimidation, behavior that spreads fear and undermines democratic values. He stated that when Vance Jr. declared his intention to kill the President and Vice President simply over political disagreements, he crossed a boundary that everyone recognizes, and punishment was the only appropriate response.
William Shink, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service's Detroit Field Office, reinforced the point with a direct warning. He said that threats targeting the nation's leaders and their families will never be tolerated. Anyone who threatens the President, Vice President, or any individual under Secret Service protection will face a thorough investigation and will be held fully accountable.
The takeaway from federal prosecutors could not be more plain. Hiding behind an anonymous username on social media offers zero protection. The legal consequences for this kind of conduct are both real and severe.
Continue reading more about it at: Grand Rapids Resident Gets Two Years in Federal Prison for Presidential Threats on Bluesky, and He Is Not the Only One