| Published April 22, 2025
In a chilling revelation, a newly unsealed FBI affidavit has unveiled that 17-year-old Nikita Casap, accused of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, was in communication with a Telegram account linked to a Ukrainian cell number. This connection adds a complex international dimension to an already disturbing domestic case.
The Plot Unveiled
Casap, a Wisconsin native, allegedly murdered his parents to steal $14,000, intending to use the funds to acquire a militarized drone for an assassination attempt on Trump. The FBI’s investigation revealed that Casap was in contact with a Telegram user operating under the name “Роман Вікторович” (Roman Viktorovich), communicating in Ukrainian Cyrillic script. The phone number associated with this account bore the +380 country code, confirming its Ukrainian origin, specifically registered with Vodafone Ukraine.
As part of his diabolical plot, Casap brutally murdered his mother and stepfather to steal $14,000 in cash — money he intended to use to acquire a customized militarized drone capable of dropping and detonating an explosive device in an attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump. He actively coordinated an escape plan to Ukraine, even asking one handler if he could still live a “normal life” there — even if the world found out what he had done. One of the Telegram accounts instructed Casap on how to hide the bodies of his parents, advising him to drag them into the basement to avoid detection. According to the FBI affidavit, he was also given specific instructions on how to swap out the license plate on his stepfather’s vehicle to evade law enforcement, along with a carefully mapped escape route that took him from southeastern Wyoming, through Kansas, to a waypoint near Pumpkin Center, Oklahoma — a remote location likely chosen to avoid detection — before continuing to California, where he planned to await extraction to Ukraine.
“200 wheels” is almost certainly terrorist code for explosive materials or fragmentation elements intended to maximize casualties when detonated by the drone.
In the first Trump assassination attempt, Thomas Matthew Crooks — the 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania who opened fire on President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler County — was found to have been communicating via encrypted platforms with accounts tied to servers overseas. While the FBI has confirmed the existence of these encrypted communications and their foreign server locations, it has, for some reason, not disclosed the names of the specific platforms Crooks used or the individuals he communicated with.
And who can forget Ryan Wesley Routh, the second would-be Trump assassin who showed up at Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach armed with an SKS-style semi-automatic rifle, lying in wait to ambush the former president — only to later be identified in a video produced and published by X account @save_mrpl, a narrative-spinning propaganda arm of Ukraine’s Azov Battalion.
The video featuring Ryan Wesley Routh in Ukraine — published by the X account @save_mrpl — was produced by Олександр Алфьоров, whose name appears in Cyrillic Ukrainian script. He also administers the connected YouTube channel under the handle @OleksandrAlforov, further linking the production to Azov Battalion’s media operation.
Analyzing the Telegram Connection
The linguistic characteristics of the messages, including the use of the Ukrainian-specific letter “і” in “Вікторович,” further corroborate the Ukrainian linkage. The content of the communications was particularly disturbing, with the handler allegedly advising Casap on concealing his parents’ bodies and orchestrating his escape to Ukraine.
A newly unsealed FBI affidavit reveals that 17-year-old Wisconsin native Nikita Casap — who murdered his parents, stole $14,000 in cash, and plotted to assassinate President Trump using a militarized drone — was communicating via Telegram with an overseas phone number registered to Vodafone Ukraine, one of the country’s largest mobile carriers.
The Telegram account linked to the overseas phone number +380 50 259 5318 — registered under Vodafone Ukraine — was found to be communicating in Cyrillic script, specifically written in the Ukrainian language.
The Telegram username “PoМаН ВіКТОВИЧ” — written in Ukrainian Cyrillic — translates to Roman Viktorovich, the shadowy figure linked to a foreign cell guiding a would-be Trump assassin.
How We Confirmed It Was Ukrainian, Not Russian:
1. Country Code +380
The +380 prefix is the internationally recognized country code for Ukraine, confirming the phone number is Ukrainian in origin.
The mobile prefix 050 specifically identifies the number as belonging to Vodafone Ukraine, one of the country’s leading mobile operators.
2. Telegram Display Name: РОМаН ВіКТОВИЧ
This is the Cyrillic version of the name Roman Viktorovich.
The presence of the letter “і” in “ВіКТОВИЧ” is key:
The letter “і” is used in Ukrainian, but not in modern Russian (Russian uses “и” instead).
Ukrainian also includes unique letters like “ї”, “є”, and “ґ” which do not appear in the Russian alphabet.
3. Script Usage in Context
The Telegram user under this number also communicated with Nikita Casap in Cyrillic script, as confirmed by the FBI affidavit.
The linguistic patterns in the messages observed align with Ukrainian Cyrillic orthography, not Russian.
4. Affidavit Clues
The FBI affidavit references that at least two individuals Casap communicated with “wrote in Cyrillic.”
Cross-analysis of names and phonetics — especially “ВіКТОВИЧ” — confirms Ukrainian spelling.
These are just some of the chilling communications uncovered between 17-year-old would-be assassin Nikita Casap and multiple Telegram accounts — including at least two that communicated in Ukrainian Cyrillic.
Wider Context and Response
This case has sparked a flurry of reactions and speculations. While some narratives attempt to draw connections between Casap’s actions and Ukrainian entities, it’s crucial to approach such claims with caution. The FBI’s affidavit provides evidence of the communication link but does not establish direct involvement of the Ukrainian government or official organizations. Ukraine’s International Legion has explicitly stated that Casap has never been affiliated with their unit.
Furthermore, experts warn against the proliferation of disinformation, particularly from pro-Kremlin sources, aiming to exploit such incidents to undermine Ukraine’s international standing. These narratives often lack substantiated evidence and serve geopolitical agendas.
Conclusion
The disturbing case of Nikita Casap underscores the complex interplay between domestic extremism and international digital communications. While the Telegram connection introduces an international facet to the investigation, it’s imperative to rely on verified information and avoid unfounded speculations. As the investigation unfolds, a thorough and evidence-based approach will be essential in understanding the full scope of this alarming plot.
SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUDIT – 3rd Would-Be Trump Assassin Plotted with Telegram Account Linked to Ukrainian Cell Number — We’ve Identified the Account and Individual It’s Registered To
