J.D. Vance, Jr., a 67-year-old resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan – who shares his name with Vice President J.D. Vance – was sentenced to two years in federal prison on Monday after posting several threatening messages online, including threats to kill the President, the Vice President, and one of the President’s children. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney, who presided over the case in Kalamazoo, Michigan, described Vance’s conduct as “grievous” and emphasized the need for a prison sentence to deter others from engaging in similar behavior.

Vance, who used the alias “Diaperjdv” on the social media platform Bluesky, made specific threats in March and April 2025, targeting four individuals, including President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. One of his posts declared that he was willing to face death at the hands of the Secret Service or spend the rest of his life in prison for carrying out his threats. Vance pleaded guilty to two felony offenses: threatening to kill or injure the President and Vice President, and interstate threatening communications. Each offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case represents the second time this month that a defendant in Michigan has been sentenced for threatening the life of the President. Earlier, on October 20, 2025, Richard James Spring of Comstock Park was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $2,000 for threatening to kill President Trump.

United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Timothy VerHey, condemned Vance’s actions, stating, “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 Vice President simply because he disagreed with them, he crossed a line we all understand and so had to be punished.”

The investigation into Vance’s threats was conducted by the Grand Rapids office of the United States Secret Service. Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Detroit Field Office, William Shink, added, “Threats against our nation’s leaders and their families will not be tolerated. Individuals who threaten the President, Vice President or any U.S. Secret Service protectee will be investigated and held accountable for their actions.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)