Key facts
- William D. DeFoor pleaded guilty to vandalizing Vice President JD Vance's Cincinnati home.
- The charges include engaging in acts of physical violence against government officials or property and causing willful injury or depredation to property of the U.S.
- The incident occurred on January 5, involving a hammer attack on a law enforcement vehicle and the home's windows.
- Damages to the property were estimated at $28,000.
- DeFoor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
An Ohio man, William D. DeFoor, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the vandalism of Vice President JD Vance's Cincinnati home earlier this year. The Justice Department stated DeFoor admitted to engaging in acts of physical violence against government officials or property and causing willful injury or depredation to property of the U.S. The incident occurred around midnight on January 5, when Secret Service officers observed DeFoor breaching the property line, striking a law enforcement vehicle with a hammer, and breaking windows at the front of the residence. Prosecutors indicated the damages to the government-owned property amounted to $28,000. DeFoor was taken into custody by the Secret Service shortly after the attack. Vance and his family were in Washington, D.C., at the time of the incident. U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II emphasized that acts of violence against political leaders and their property are unacceptable and will be vigorously prosecuted. DeFoor faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, with U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole, an appointee of President Trump, set to determine the sentence. DeFoor's attorney has stated that his client's actions were not political and that he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, a point echoed by his mother who described his mental illness as having taken over his life.