April 19, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT LYNNE A. BATTAGLIA
(410) 209-4836
 

INTERNET 'CYBER STALKER' PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES

 

Baltimore -- Lynne A. Battaglia, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced that Warren Gray, a 19-year old Upper Marlboro, Maryland man, pleaded guilty to five counts of sending threatening e-mails to a Largo High School administrator at the same time as Gray was stalking him last November. In addition to sending five threatening e-mails, Gray admitted that in a two week period in November he also twice slashed the victim's car tires at Largo High School and left a hatchet in the victim, Douglass Jones', school office. The e-mails, which were introduced into the court record in federal court, included extremely graphic threats to kill Jones, to hram his family, and to burn down his home. Jones pleaded guilty to five counts of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 875, which criminalizes threats sent through the interstate wires.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, for each of the five counts. The United States Sentencing Guidelines provide the applicable sentences in most federal prosecutions, and parole has been abolished in the federal system.

Battaglia stated, "This guilty plea should serve as a notice to criminals who misuse the Internet - we will be moving you from cyberspace to cell space."

Prince George's County Police Department spokesman Royce Holloway stated, "This is another example of the cooperation between local and federal law enforcement in pursuing criminals who exploit the internet to commit crimes. The citizens of Prince George's County appreciate the effort of the U.S. Attorney's Office in removing these criminals from our community."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Prince George's County Police Department, including the Department's relatively new computer forensic unit Battaglia and Richard Mosquera, Special Agent in Charge of the F.B.I.'s Baltimore office praised the professional and thorough work of the Prince George's Police Department on the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach. Sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow on July 7, 2000 at 9:00 am. in United States District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Further inquiries may be directed to the United States Attorney's Office at 703-299-3700.
 

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