A federal jury has convicted an Arizona man of making threats against President Donald Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris, concluding a trial centered on a series of alarming communications directed at the nation’s highest elected officials.
Rene Ortiz, 56, of Casa Grande, was found guilty on three felony counts, including two counts of threatening successors to the presidency and one count of threatening a former president. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count when he is sentenced later this year.
According to prosecutors, Ortiz delivered multiple written filings to federal courthouses in Phoenix and Tucson following the 2024 election. The documents contained detailed threats against whichever candidate won the presidential election and included references to carrying out a shooting during the presidential inauguration.
Court records showed that several filings described plans involving a military-style rifle and specific targeting scenarios. One document appeared to reference the attempted assassination of Trump during a 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Federal investigators testified that Ortiz later met with U.S. Secret Service agents in December 2024 and acknowledged making the threats. During the interview, authorities said Ortiz indicated he could act on them if his demands were not addressed.
Ortiz told investigators his frustrations stemmed from a dispute with the Department of Veterans Affairs involving educational benefits he believed he had been promised after leaving employment with the agency.
His defense team argued that the statements were the product of serious mental illness rather than genuine plans to commit violence. A psychologist testified that Ortiz suffers from schizoaffective disorder and borderline personality disorder and contended that he did not pose a credible threat.
Jurors, however, ultimately sided with prosecutors and returned guilty verdicts after a four-day trial.
Federal officials said the conviction underscores the seriousness with which threats against public officials are treated, regardless of whether they are communicated through letters, court filings or other means.
Ortiz remains in federal custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1.
