Michigan man who shares same initials as JD Vance convicted of threatening to kill president, vice president
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 10: Vice President JD Vance attends the swearing-in ceremony of U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in the Oval Office of the White House on November 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. In addition to serving as Ambassador to India,
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Michigan man with the same initials and first name as the Vice President of the United States has been convicted of threatening to kill the President, the Vice President, and one of the President's children.
James Donald Vance, Jr., 67, was sentenced on Monday to two years of federal prison time for posting threatening messages online against Vice President JD Vance, President Donald Trump, and one of Trump's children.
According to a release from the Department of Justice, Vance went by the alias ‘Diaperjdv’ on Bluesky and made specific threats against four different people. In one message, the DOJ said he did not care whether he was shot by the Secret Service or would spend the rest of his life in prison for his actions.
Vance pleaded guilty to two felony offenses including threatening to kill or injure the President and Vice President and interstate threatening communications.
He could have been sentenced to five years in prison and fined for $250,000 per charge.
What they're saying:
The DOJ said this is the second time in a month that someone in West Michigan was sentenced for threatening to kill the President. On Oct. 20, Richard Spring from Comstock Park was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $2,000 for threatening to kill President Trump.
United States Attorney Timothy VerHey said threats have to be taken seriously.
"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," VerHey said.
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Dig deeper:
The Department of Justice did not address the similarities in Vice President JD Vance and James Donald Vance's names – nor did it state if Vance, the now-convicted felon, is related to Vance, the Vice President. However, the Vice President was born James Donald Bowman and later changed his name to James David Bowman before eventually taking his mom's maiden name, Vance, as his surname.
The Source: The information in this sentencing was provided by the Department of Justice.