Ronald Syvrud, the 66-year-old man being sought by the Cochise County Sheriff in Arizona in connection with threats to kill former President Donald Trump, is a registered sex offender in Wisconsin with outstanding warrants in Wisconsin and Arizona, Wisconsin Right Now has documented.
The search for Syvrud, who previously lived in Cuba City, Wisconsin, and is now listed as living in Arizona, comes as Trump visits the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County on August 22.
Syvrud is listed as “compliant” on Wisconsin’s sex offender registry, which means that an offender is “meeting registration requirements with the Sex Offender Registry Program,” the Wisconsin sex offender registry says. In Arizona, he’s wanted for “Hit/Run and Felony Failure to Register as a Sex offender,” the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office says.
We’ve confirmed that Syvrud’s Wisconsin warrants are in Grant and Columbia Counties. However, the Grant County Sheriff’s Department stated that the offense in question (5th or 6th offense felony DUI) is not extraditable nationwide and is only enforceable in Wisconsin.
We have contacted the state Department of Corrections to learn more details about Syvrud.
The Wisconsin sex offender registry gives his current address as Benson, Arizona, report date 11/29/2023, verified date 3/19/24, and says he responded “to latest USPS mail.” His Wisconsin registration is for life and began on April 6, 2001.
The Wisconsin sex offender registry is under the umbrella of the state Department of Corrections, which is under the ultimate authority of Gov. Tony Evers.
The Arizona Sheriff’s Department put out the alert for Syvrud on August 22, writing in a statement that the Sheriff’s Office “is searching for a Benson resident who is wanted on several outstanding warrants.” That’s Benson, Arizona. They stated that he has “outstanding warrants from the state of Wisconsin for DUI/Failure to Appear for DUI and from Graham County Arizona for Hit/Run and Felony Failure to Register as a Sex offender.”
According to the release, “The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office also has an absconder hold for this subject for failing to register as a sex offender. Public Safety consideration: ”Syvrud is being sought as an investigative lead for threats to kill a presidential candidate.”
We asked the Cochise County Sheriff’s spokeswoman whether the presidential candidate in question was Trump, and she said yes. AZFamily also reported that Syvrud is wanted in connection with “a threat to kill former President Donald Trump.”
The spokeswoman also confirmed that Syvrud’s Wisconsin warrants are out of Grant and Columbia Counties. The press release initially spelled Syvrud’s name Syrvud, but she confirmed that Ronald Lee Syvrud is the correct spelling.
But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of Syvrud’s history in Wisconsin’s criminal justice system.
Ronald Syvrud Criminal History in Wisconsin
Per Wisconsin court records, Ronald Syvrud has this criminal history in Wisconsin:
Grant County, felony case, 5th or 6th offense OWI, case filed 11-03-2021. Syvrud’s address was given as Cuba City, Wisconsin. On 11/30/2021, court records say, “Arrest warrant issued for Syvrud, Ronald Lee.” The day before that, he was listed as failing to appear in court for his initial appearance. The case is still pending. He was issued a summons in the case.
Columbia County, felony case, 5th or 6th offense OWI, case filed 03-05-2018. Again, his address was given as Cuba City, Wisconsin. A bench warrant was issued on 04-24-2023 when he failed to appear for a plea hearing. The case is still open. In February 2023, the court records note, “Return of unclaimed/undelivered mail service” – “Notice of Hearing sent to defendant returned.” He last appeared in court on 2/17/2021 in that case. On 1/19/2021, he was released on $5,000 cash bond. There was also a warrant issued on 1/4/2021 that was quashed twice in June 2021.
Dane County, criminal traffic case, 4th offense OWI, case filed 02-17-2010. He was listed as living in a transitional facility in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. He was sentenced to 60 days in Huber Jail.
Dane County, felony 2nd-degree sexual assault of a child and exposing a child to harmful materials,case filed on 03-29-2000. His address was listed as “115 W Doty St, DCJ-PSB, Madison, WI 53703.” He was revoked by DOC in that case. He initially received probation and a stayed prison sentence, but the probation was revoked, and he was sent to prison for 3.5 years.
Table of Contents
