Ohio man accused of vandalizing JD Vance’s home pleads guilty
An Ohio man accused of vandalizing Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home earlier this year pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday, officials said.
William D. DeFoor, 26, reportedly caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage Jan. 5 when he used a hammer to smash multiple windows at Vance’s unoccupied home.
DeFoor specifically admitted to acts of physical violence against government officials or property, as well as the willful injury or depredation of U.S. government property, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
His defense attorney previously said the assaults were not politically motivated and that DeFoor suffers from mental health issues. Court records show DeFoor has a history of criminal cases involving findings of mental incompetency.
SUSPECT IN VANCE HOME VANDALISM HAS HAD MULTIPLE RUN-INS WITH THE LAW, DEMANDED TO BE CALLED JULIA
"Perpetrators like DeFoor, who put that freedom at risk, particularly through violent, destructive actions, will, like here, be vigorously prosecuted," U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a statement Tuesday.
According to court documents, DeFoor was detained around midnight after Secret Service agents observed him near the front fence of Vance’s protected residence. Vance and his family were in Washington, D.C., at the time of the incident.
While wielding a hammer, DeFoor reportedly breached the property line at the driveway and proceeded to target an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle blocking the driveway entrance. DeFoor used the weapon to strike the driver’s side window three times, prosecutors said.
As Secret Service agents responded, DeFoor ignored all commands to stop and drop the weapon, according to charging documents.
He then used the hammer to break large, historic glass windows across the front of the home, officials said.
The attack reportedly damaged components of an enhanced security system located on each window. The equipment was owned by the U.S. government and valued at more than $28,000, prosecutors said.
ATTORNEY FOR SUSPECT IN VANCE HOME VANDALISM RULES OUT POSSIBLE MOTIVATION
Secret Service agents and Cincinnati police officers eventually detained DeFoor after he tried to flee on foot.
Gerace on Tuesday further condemned the violence, saying assaults against U.S. officials will be prosecuted.
"Acts of violence directed against our political leaders, their families or property, have no place in our society and will not be tolerated. Our elected leaders, at all levels of government, must be permitted to carry out their duties free from threats, vandalism and other forms of violence," Gerace said.
According to court records, DeFoor has a history of mental health issues in Hamilton County spanning more than two years.
FBI sources previously told Fox News that when DeFoor was arrested, he demanded to be called "Julia."
In April 2023, DeFoor was charged with trespassing at University of Cincinnati Health Psychiatric Emergency Services after police said he refused to leave the premises. He was ruled incompetent to stand trial, and the case was later dismissed.
The following year, DeFoor was charged with two counts of vandalism after windows at a Hyde Park business were broken. The case was referred to a mental health docket, with treatment ordered in lieu of conviction.
Hamilton County Court later approved an application granting DeFoor’s mother legal guardianship after finding him incompetent by reason of mental illness.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.