An Ohio man accused of damaging Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati residence earlier this year pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, authorities said.
William D. DeFoor, 26, caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage on Jan. 5 when he used a hammer to break several windows at Vance’s home, which was unoccupied at the time, according to reports.
DeFoor admitted to committing acts of physical violence against government officials or property, along with willfully injuring or damaging U.S. government property, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio said.
His defense attorney has previously said the incident was not politically motivated and pointed to DeFoor’s mental health challenges. Court records also indicate DeFoor has faced prior criminal cases that included findings of mental incompetency.
William D. DeFoor remained in custody for nearly nine months after he was accused of vandalizing Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home. (WXIX; Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office)
“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.
Court documents say Secret Service agents detained DeFoor around midnight after spotting him near the front fence of Vance’s protected residence. Vance and his family were in Washington, D.C., when the incident occurred.
Prosecutors said DeFoor, armed with a hammer, crossed the property line near the driveway and then attacked an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle positioned at the driveway entrance. He struck the driver’s side window three times with the hammer, according to authorities.
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.
William DeFoor, 26, appears in court Jan. 6, 2026, for non-federal charges in the vandalism of Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home. (WXIX)
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.
Vice President JD Vance and his family were in Washington, D.C., when his Cincinnati home was vandalized. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hamilton County Court later approved an application granting DeFoor’s mother legal guardianship after finding him incompetent by reason of mental illness.
